Bishop Frank J. Dewane calls all to support the Holy Father’s request for prayer
To view or download Bishop Dewane’s letter as a PDF, click here.
Prayer Vigil for Peace from St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, with Pope Leo XIV
Saturday, April 11, 2026, 12:00 noon ET (6:00 p.m. Rome time)
Join the Prayer Vigil/Holy Rosary for Peace via livestream! Watch below.
Holy Rosary for Peace from the Vatican
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Prayers for Peace
Pope Leo’s Prayer to St. Francis
Saint Francis, our brother, you who eight hundred years ago
went to meet Sister Death as a man at peace,
intercede for us before the Lord.
You recognized true peace in the Crucifix of San Damiano,
teach us to seek in him the source of all reconciliation that breaks down every wall.
You who, unarmed, crossed the lines of war and misunderstanding,
give us the courage to build bridges where the world raises up boundaries.
In this time afflicted by conflict and division,
intercede for us so that we may become peacemakers:
unarmed and disarming witnesses of the peace that comes from Christ.
Amen.
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi (Prayer for Peace)
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
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Take a moment, pray with the Pope for disarmament and peace.
Conflicts and tensions exist that threaten people’s lives and their ability to live together. Some can drag on for years if the path of dialogue and reconciliation has not been chosen. This is particularly concerning for the most vulnerable and for future generations. In his prayer intention for March, Pope Leo invites us to pray that nations lay down their weapons, adopt diplomacy and justice, and seek true security founded on trust and solidarity among peoples.
In his prayer, the Holy Father invites us to pray that “every kind word, every gesture of reconciliation, and every choice for dialogue be seeds of a new world.”
You are not alone. By praying, you join your brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the Diocese of Venice, as well as millions of people who belong to the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network who, from every corner of the world, are praying for the challenges of humanity and the Church’s mission.
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Prayer for Disarmament and Peace
Lord of Life,
you shaped every human being in your image and likeness.
We believe you created us for communion, not for war,
for fraternity, not for destruction.
You who greeted your disciples saying, “Peace be with you,”
grant us the gift of your peace
and the strength to make it a reality in history.
Today we lift up our prayer for peace in the world,
asking that nations renounce weapons
and choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy.
Disarm our hearts of hatred, resentment, and indifference,
so we may become instruments of reconciliation.
Help us understand that true security
does not come from control fueled by fear,
but from trust, justice, and solidarity among peoples.
Lord, enlighten the leaders of the nations,
so they may have the courage to abandon projects of death,
halt the arms race,
and place the lives of the most vulnerable at the center.
May the nuclear threat never again dictate the future of humanity.
Holy Spirit,
make us faithful and creative builders of daily peace:
in our hearts, our families,
our communities, and our cities.
May every kind word, every gesture of reconciliation,
and every choice for dialogue be seeds of a new world.
Amen.
