President of USCCB calls for Holy Hour for the United States

By Kielce Gussie

The president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, is asking people to dedicate time to pray for a renewal in their hearts and in the nation as a whole.

In his invitation, the archbishop highlighted how many may feel powerless in the midst of the social and political unrest, injustice, and violence sweeping the country. His response is clear: “Your faithfulness matters. Your prayers matter. Your acts of love and works of justice matter.”

No act of mercy is too small

In a message, the USCCB president expressed his gratitude for the innumerable ways Catholics and people of goodwill have continued to care for one another and work towards peace and justice.

Whether those actions have come in the form of feeding those who hunger, welcoming the stranger, caring for those who are ill, etc., Archbishop Coakley stressed that God sees every act of mercy, justice and love—no matter how big or small.

As a number of protests have occurred and are taking place throughout the U.S., the archbishop pointed out that “works of mercy, peacefully assembling, and caring for those in your community are signs of hope, and they build peace more surely than anger or despair ever could.” Yet, he also underlined that proper laws must be respected.

A climate of injustice

Archbishop Coakley then turned to the recent killings of two people (Renee Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti on January 24) by immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the case of a man detained in Texas. He called these events “tragic examples of the violence that represent failures in our society to respect the dignity of every human life.”

This loss of life is mourned, and the injustice and indifference it represents are condemned. The current climate of “fear and polarization”, the USCCB president continued, “which thrives when human dignity is disregarded, does not meet the standard set by Christ in the Gospel.”

A Holy Hour for renewal

Taking a step towards healing, Archbishop Coakley invited all bishops and priests around the U.S. to offer a Holy Hour for Peace in the coming days. He called for this opportunity to pray for reconciliation where there is division, for justice where fundamental rights are violated, and for consolation for those overwhelmed by fear or loss.

This call to prayer is for all Catholics, as the archbishop noted, “whether in parishes, chapels, or before the Lord present in the quiet of their hearts for healing in our nation and communities.”

He expressed his hope that this Holy Hour be a time of “renewal for our hearts and for our nation.” Closing his message, the USCCB president encouraged everyone to entrust their hopes and fears to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to ask Him to make everyone instruments of His peace and witnesses “to the inherent dignity of every person.”

“Let us pray together, confident that God hears the cry of his people and remains close to all who seek him.”