In response to the sexual abuse crisis engulfing the Catholic community at this time, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is calling for prayers and inviting everyone to join a prayer vigil on Friday, Sept. 14 at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul, Philadelphia.
“Have Mercy on Us, O Lord: A Prayer Vigil of Reparation and Petition” is an invitation to fasting and prayer on the Catholic feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
The seven-hour period of prayer in which people may participate throughout the night will begin at 5 p.m. with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
A “holy hour of reparation” begins at 7 p.m. and private devotion will continue until the concluding benediction at 12 midnight.
According to information from the archdiocesan Office for Divine Worship, all are invited to the vigil in the presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament “to ask for his mercy upon his church in this moment of profound crisis.”
“We come to make reparation for our own sins and those of our bishops and priests,” read a flyer announcing the vigil. “We come also in confident hope that from Christ’s super-abounding mercy will come the purification, healing and restoration of holiness for which we long.”
[hotblock]
The office’s flyer indicated the prayers are in reparation for “all sins of sexual abuse and sexual immorality, especially by members of the Catholic clergy; all sins of cowardice, deception, sloth and self-protection, especially among those in positions of authority in the church; our collective indifference to Christ’s teachings on human sexuality; (and) all forms of scandal and infidelity, including our own personal sins, through which we have been an obstacle to others finding God.”
Prayers will also seek God’s graces, according to the flyer, of “healing for the victims of sexual abuse; purgation of the church from all evil; rooting out of all compromise, infidelity and lukewarmness in our own lives and in those of our bishops and priests; (and) new outpouring of the Holy Spirit to set the church aflame with radical holiness, fidelity and zeal for the Gospel.”
PREVIOUS: Two priests ruled unsuitable for ministry in Philadelphia Archdiocese
NEXT: Catholic teaching shows hope for those hurt by suicide
I will be there – we all need to pray for our Church, those who are guilty of these heinous crimes and especially for all of the good and holy clergy in our church. Now is the time to come together in the Communion of saints. Remember Jesus promised that the gates of hell shall not prevail.
I agree that all of the offenders top down must be purged, and now,; but we must not abandon Christ, our Church nor despair.
Remember that the Catholic Church is the one true church founded by Jesus Himself. Bad people do bad things, just as Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus; these clerics did much the same thing, betrayed Christ and our church/us.. But we must remember we are Catholics because we love Jesus and HIS real presence in the Holy Eucharist – not because of any pope, bishop, cardinal or priest. Hang in there and trust in God, He will always be there for us for eternity.. He will come again.
We feel that the Evening of Reparation should be for members of the clergy ONLY. They are the guilty group. They need to pray for reparation. The clergy shoul FILL the cathedral with prayers for their brother cardinals, bishops and priests
They need to publicly express their sorrow and seek forgiveness
What is the church going to do about the many catholics that have joined another church!!!!
As a priest of the Archdiocese for 15 plus years, I have prayed with the people of God, cried with them and listened to them and spoken from the heart from the pulpit about these horrific and criminal actions of priests and their bishops and superiors and I have prayed and done penance, including enduring the comments, anger and looks from others simply for wearing a Roman Collar and I will continue to pray for the victims and their families and do my part to help them and protect youth. The bishops and hierarchy are the ones who created this mess by their perpetuating the secrecy, silence and empty promises.
This recent grand jury report and the sinister actions of McCarrick once again and perhaps even more, underscores an egregious failure and clerical culture creates by many bishops. Maybe those who wear the mitres should be doing this public act of prayer and penance. The Dallas Charter needs to be changed to put them on an equal level as us priests when an accusation is made and they too, should be deemed unfit for ministry if it is found credible, including if they covered up or hid anything from the authorities. No wonder that we amongst the presbyterate call it the “Charter for the Protection of Young People and Bishops”!
“We come to make reparation for our own sins”?! These are not MY sins or the sins of anyone in the pews! These are the sins of the men who committed these crimes and the men who covered them up. They should be asking for our forgiveness for the pain they have caused to the victims and all the faithful
I am visiting your website because of the scandal. I am wanting our small mission parish in Oklahoma, to pray for this crisis too. I am not eloquent with words so please forgive me. We, the people of the church, are Christ’s body. Christ’s body includes the Pope to babies. Saints and sinners. When I broke my leg, my whole body prayed for the healing of my leg because my body needed my leg to heal so that I could walk. It wasn’t just my mouth praying or my leg praying. I am just as big of a sinner as every priest involved here. In prayer, I have come to know that our priests and bishops are a reflection of the people in the pew. Over 50% of the catholics that attend Mass and are sitting in the pew do not believe in the real presence. Over 80% of the catholics that attend Mass and are sitting in the pew are using or have used contraception. Now, is it only the sins of the clergy that need healing or is it all of our sins? Let’s all get that plank out of our own eye before we try to find the speck in our neighbor’s. Let us pray for ourselves, our clergy and our pope, something we should have been doing all along. St. Peter parish, the small mission parish in Oklahoma, is joining the church at large in prayer. God Bless us all.
It should be ALL the priests & bishops on their knees for the 7 hours.
Designate another time for the laity
Enough prayers, we need action and reform.
Why lump everyone’s sins into the mix of these latest scandal revelations? Obviously there seems to have been set a different standard for “our sins” and “their sins”.
I guess we can pray until we are blue in the face because it doesn’t seem to be working thus far.
Margie,
If you only were aware of the power of prayer! Don´t give up, keep praying for our Clergy!
Should be in EVERY parish. Simultaneously would be a nice touch, too.