PROVIDENCE — Over 150 Rhode Islanders gathered at St Patrick Church on Providence’s Smith Hill on the lat evening of Saturday, April 11, to attend a midnight prayer vigil for peace in the Middle East and throughout the world. The event was organized as a local response to Pope Leo XIV’s request for an emergency worldwide prayer vigil for peace on Saturday, with Providence becoming one of thousands of cities across the globe where clergy and faithful joined their prayers with those of Pope Leo in Rome.
“We are an immense multitude that rejects war not only in word, but also in deed,” the Pope said from St. Peter’s Basilica. “Let us turn to a kingdom of peace that is built up day by day — in our homes, schools, neighborhoods, and civil and religious communities… Everyone has a place in the mosaic of peace!”
The pontiff’s sentiments were echoed by Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., and Father Joseph Brice, the pastor of St. Patrick’s.
“We had originally scheduled this as a vigil for Divine Mercy Sunday, but after the pope’s request for us to join him in praying for peace, the Bishop asked if we could incorporate that and I said, ‘That’s a great idea, let’s go for it.’”
Father Brice observed that devotion to the Divine Mercy goes hand-in-hand with working for peace.
“Once you understand how merciful God has been to you, you absolutely have to work for peace,” he said. “That’s God’s plan. Without mercy, there can be no peace.”
Most of the worshippers at Saturday’s vigil consisted of members of St. Patrick’s, although Father Brice noted that a substantial percentage came from other parishes in the diocese.
“Together with our Holy Father in Rome, we join in praying for peace,” said Father Brice. “We come together, joined with our bishop,to pray that God’s peace will reign, that the eyes of the governments will see the suffering of the children, of the elders, of the families who suffer the consequences of this war. We pray for an end to the wars between the Ukraine and Russia, between Israel and Gaza and Lebanon, between the US and Iran, and throughout the whole world. Humans have tried to attain peace through our own power and our efforts have been in vain. Now, we turn to God to heal our world.”
The prayer service occurred on the first day of a ceasefire between Iran and the United States; shortly before the congregation began praying, news broke from Islamabad, Pakistan, that American and Iranian diplomats had already walked away from negotiations after only 21 hours of the scheduled two-week ceasefire.
In addition to inflaming tensions in an already politically polarized United States, the war in Iran has put an increasing strain on the relationship between the two most influential Americans in the world: U. S. President Donald Trump and Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV, the first pontiff from the United States. In his vigil on Saturday, the Pope made a plea to all leaders of warring nations, saying: “To them we cry out: Stop! It is time for peace! Sit at the table of dialogue and mediation, not at the table where rearmament is planned and deadly actions are decided!”
The tone at St. Patrick’s was decidedly prayerful rather than political. Although Father Brice was facing the Blessed Sacrament for the duration of the vigil, he said that reviewing videos of the event revealed how spiritually meaningful it was for the faithful. “It was beautiful to see these people losing themselves in prayer, raising their arms and praying for God’s mercy with their hearts and their souls,” he said. Although it can be daunting for Catholics to think about the suffering and hatred in the world right now, and one can easily feel powerless in the face of conflicts on the other side of the globe, Father Brice encouraged Christians to maintain hope and continue working for peace. “Our sacrifices matter. Fasting connects us with God and can be a very powerful form of prayer for those who suffer. We need peace in our hearts to bring peace to the world.”
Pope Leo, similarly, has asked Catholics to come together and call in one voice for peace, including by reaching out to our elected representatives.
Vatican City Secretary of State Pietro Cardinal Parolin asked American Catholics not “to leave the pope alone” in following Christ’s instruction to be peacemakers.
The congregation at St. Patrick’s reflected the various groups and perspectives that were joined together by opposition to war, with their prayers alternating between English and Spanish decades of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, a long prayer for God’s mercy which uses a set of rosary beads. In his address at St. Peter’s, Pope Leo had used the rosary as an example of how great things are usually composed of smaller elements working together:
“The rosary, like other ancient forms of prayer, has united us in a steady rhythm built on repetition. Peace gains ground in the same way: word by word, deed by deed, just as a rock is hollowed out drop by drop, or fabric woven stitch by stitch.”
