On Sunday, October 22, Br. Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., Superior General of the Congregation of Holy Cross, sent a communication to all the vowed religious of Holy Cross, calling on them to join in Pope Francis’s call to observe a day of prayer, fasting, and penance for world peace on Friday, October 27.

“The violence, destruction, and brutality of the Israeli-Hamas war continues with fear of its further expansion,” wrote Br. Bednarczyk. “In the shadows of this crisis, there still remains the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and many other religious and political battles being fought in other parts of the world, but are not as well publicized.

He urged “all local communities to observe this Friday with some commemoration of prayer and fasting, such as a Holy Hour, Adoration, common Rosary, simple meal, or some other devotion.”

Br. Bednarczyk concluded by expressing his hope that this Friday may be a day of personal and communal reflection and solidarity with the innocent who suffer and die because of our inhumanity to one another.