TOLEDO—The community is invited to join several Catholic parishes and other Toledo area groups for a nine-day call to prayer devoted to peace and social justice.
Scheduled for May 5-13, services for the Novena for Peace and Social Justice are to be held at Toledo Corpus Christi, 2955 Dorr St.
The Novena for Peace was introduced last year by Pax Christi of Corpus Christi University Parish with more than 500 individuals gathering over the nine days. Dusty Tyukody, a member of the parish served as lead developer of the program.
“It was a powerful experience we’d like to repeat,” says Ms. Tyukody. “The focus of this year’s novena moves us beyond the violence of war, oppression, nuclear proliferation and torture to include other insidious forms of violence — not just war and genocide but also the violence of greed, pollution, industrial farming, poverty, bigotry and human trafficking.”
The opportunity to gather in prayer for peace and healing is a way to break from cynicism and move toward hope, she says, and it offers time for reflection, intercession, opening self to God’s Spirit and experiencing grace.
Each gathering is to last about 45 minutes, beginning at 6 p.m. Services include a reflection and opening prayer on a specific aspect of violence, followed by Scripture readings and recitation of the rosary.
The last evening of the novena is to be followed by Mass. As a final celebration of the prayerful community formed over the nine days, a potluck finger food buffet is to be held following the Mass.
“At its essence the novena is about deepening our relationship with God, with Mary, the Mother of God and opening ourselves to the healing love offered,” says Ms. Tyukody.
Pax Christi of Corpus Christi University Parish is co-sponsoring the novena with the purpose to work for peace through prayer, study and action, says Pax Christi president Diane Stein. “This novena is an opportunity to pray together for the peace we all desire.”
Other Toledo parishes and groups joining the effort as hosts include Christ the King, St. Clement, St. Michael, St. Pius X and the Catholic Students Association of the University of Toledo.
“We are hopeful that we can appeal to a cross section of peace-loving people to participate in this novena,” says Ms. Tyukody. “Everyone is welcome and we sincerely hope that many will come and pray with us, for one night or several.”
For more information on sponsoring or hosting an evening, or for more details on the novena, visit www.ccup.org and click on the events calendar.
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