Bishop to lead prayer service for peace in communities

Bishop Michael Mulvey will lead a prayer service tomorrow, Sept. 9 at St. Patrick Parish in Coprus Christi to pray for peace in our communities in response to recent incidents of violence and racial tension in communities nationwide. The bishop will celebrate Mass at 5:30 p.m. and lead a prayer service, with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, after Mass at 6:30 p.m.
 
This is part of an initiative by the Church in the United States to obseve a National Day of Prayer for Peace in Our Communities in response to the racially-related shootings in Baton Rouge, Minneapolis, Dallas and other communites.
 
"I have stressed the need to look toward additional ways of nurturing an open, honest and civil dialogue on issues of race relations, restorative justice, mental health, economic opportunity and addressing the question of pervasive gun violence," Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said. "The Day of Prayer will help us advance in that direction. By stepping forward to embrace the suffering, through unified, concrete action animated by the love of Christ, we hope to nurture peace and build bridges of communication and mutual aid in our own communities."
 
"We can show a unity of purpose by bringing our communities together," Bishop Mulvey said.
 
The bishop asks the faithful to join him at St. Patrick's, and is encouraging priests throughut the Diocese of Corpus Christi to have a prayer service in their parish or community. In communities with more than one parish he is asking them to join together for a community service.