Posted April 1, 2022

Ramadan, one of the holiest months of the year for Muslims, begins Saturday evening, April 2 and ends Sunday evening, May 1, with the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Muslims fast from food and drink during the sunlit hours as a means of drawing closer to God and cultivating self-control, gratitude and compassion for those less fortunate. The month is one of heightened focus on devotion, during which Muslims spend extra time reading the Quran and praying special prayers.

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Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez

Dear Friends of the Muslim Faith Tradition,

I extend peaceful greetings as you embark on your month-long vigil of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

In 1985, Saint John Paul II addressed Muslim leaders while visiting Belgium. He said, “As Christians and Muslims, we encounter one another in faith in the one God, our Creator and guide, our just and merciful judge. We believe that God transcends our thoughts and our universe and that his loving presence accompanies us throughout each day.”

I echo those sentiments with deep respect and friendship and offer you my prayerful best wishes as you mark this holy time on your calendar.

May your lives give glory to the Almighty and bring serenity, joy, and prosperity to all those around you.

+Nelson J. Pérez, D.D.
Archbishop of Philadelphia