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Where
two or three are gathered in my name, there I am. Matthew 18:20
Dear Friends:
As Holy Week 2006 approaches, our Catholic Church is
beset with problems greater than have been seen in many
decades. Many ask:
What
can I possibly do - about Church closings; declining
numbers of Catholics; financial mismanagement and
bankruptcies; continuing accusations of clergy sexual
abuse; mistrust between the laity and the hierarchy?
It’s all so immense.
Here’s
what you can do: join other Catholics in your area
and around the country on Palm Sunday, April
9, for a special moment of prayer and discernment.
Our
goal: To have thousands of people praying in one voice
for
the Church’s laity and leaders to reach
an understanding of what all must do to make our Church
a moral and loving spiritual community where children
and adults alike are safe, nurtured and respected.
Our
vision: That dozens of parishes and faith
communities will organize small prayer vigils to
say the same the
prayer and
listen to the same two
readings on the evening
of Palm Sunday. Several such prayer
services are already organized. You can organize
such a vigils at your parish. Click
here to learn
how.
Show
solidarity: Show your commitment to this faith action
by also wearing
a purple ribbon on Palm Sunday.
If you can’t attend a prayer service, light a candle
in your window at 7p.m. on Palm Sunday evening and read
the prayer and the readings at home with family, friends,
or alone, knowing that many others are doing the same
thing.
Forward
this to a friend: Encourage others around the country
and
the world to say the prayer and do the readings.
Ask your friends, even if they aren’t Catholic,
to say the prayer for us.
The news
today about our
Church is tragic and frustrating.
But this holy season is a time when all Catholics who
attend church - regular, occasional and returning - seek
community in our shared faith. Together on Palm Sunday,
may we arrive at a better understanding of how each of
us can move our Church to wholeness. For this, we pray.
Join us all in prayer this Sunday evening.
Sincerely,
Mary
Pat Fox, President
Ray Joyce, Executive Director
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