Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem
The monastic community, with members of the School community and our extended community of friends, joined this week in prayer and fasting for peace in the Holy Land. Abbot Michael Brunner extended an invitation at the Masses of last weekend, which coincided with Parents’ Weekend for the School. The message was repeated in subsequent messages sent out to the community to call them to prayer and fasting through participation in Divine Adoration and Benediction. Abbot Michael stated:
As you are undoubtedly aware, there is a terrible war now occurring in Israel and the Gaza Area of Palestine. The Latin patriarch, that is the Roman Catholic archbishop of Jerusalem, has called for prayer and fasting for peace. He specifically suggested this be done on Tuesday, October 17. To that end, we will have exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Benediction and a holy hour of adoration that evening, this Tuesday, October 17, from after our office of Compline at 7:15 PM until 8:15 PM. I know many of you are going away this weekend and will be returning on Tuesday, but I invite you to stop by during that time, at least for a few moments, to pray that peace may be restored in this area where all the prophets and Jesus himself lived and worked so hard to establish peace on this earth. Consider fasting as well. This can mean eating less or nothing, giving up a meal or two if you can, foregoing snacks.
The Latin Patriarch on X (formerly Twitter)
The Latin Patriarch, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, had recently been noted in news from the Vatican as he had been elevated to cardinal, consecrated at St. Peter’s Basilica on September 30, 2023, the first time Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarch had been so recognized. The Jerusalem Post noted the significance, remarking that, “The appointment of the Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem to the position of cardinal in the Catholic Church signals that the Holy See has its eyes on the city and the status of Christian minorities in the region,” indicating the hope he would have a “more active role in the ongoing diplomatic discussions” in the region.