Archbishop José Gomez of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has declared Feb. 4 a Day of Prayer for Peace in the archdiocese, inviting all in the archdiocese to pray for peace in the wake of recent violence and unrest related to immigration enforcement.
“We need prayer in this time of fear and uncertainty that is hurting so many of our immigrant families,” the archbishop said, according to a Feb. 2 emailed archdiocesan press release. “It is also a tense moment in our country, people are angry and deeply divided. So we will come together as the family of God to pray for our people and to pray for our leaders, and to pray for one another, that we can all work for peace and seek the common good.”
The day of prayer includes a Mass for Peace that Archbishop Gomez will celebrate at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Mass will be followed by a Holy Hour led by Father David Gallardo, pastor of the cathedral.
The archbishop is calling on all people of good will to pray especially for immigrants and their loved ones.
“In this moment of pain and disruption, the Church seeks to walk closely with those who suffer, offering the assurance that they are not alone and that they are held in prayer by the wider community of faith,” the archdiocese said in the release.
Archbishop Gomez called for the day of prayer in response to an invitation from Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. According to the release, Archbishop Coakley asked Americans “to pause before the Lord in a Holy Hour for Peace — a time of renewal for our hearts and for our nation.”
“Our faith matters, our prayers matter, and our acts of love and works of justice matter,” Archbishop Coakley said.
The archdiocese of Los Angeles is the largest and most culturally diverse in the nation, according to the release. Many parishes across the archdiocese will also hold Holy Hours for peace on Feb. 4.
The archbishop encouraged all those unable to attend a Holy Hour to pray for peace privately.
“We need prayer in this time of fear and uncertainty that is hurting so many of our immigrant families,” Archbishop Gomez said in the release. “It is also a tense moment in our country, people are angry and deeply divided. So we will come together as the family of God to pray for our people and to pray for our leaders, and to pray for one another, that we can all work for peace and seek the common good.”