Archbishop Coakley\u2019s request<\/a> for a holy hour in all the Catholic churches in the United States to renew the hearts of Americans.<\/p>\n\u201cLet us pray for reconciliation where there is division, for justice where there are violations of fundamental rights, and for consolation for all who feel overwhelmed by fear or loss,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n
Archbishop P\u00e9rez said that our hearts and actions need to be moved toward offering the kind of peace that can still exist in a world rife with \u00a0tensions both overseas in Ukraine and Gaza as well as on the streets of America.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeace is not the absence of conflict. That\u2019s not what peace is,\u201d the Archbishop said. \u201cPeace is actually when we are in right relationship with each other, in right relationship with God, in right relationship with ourselves, and then in right relationship with the people around us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Mass began with Father Dennis Gill, the rector of the Cathedral Basilica, who invited the congregation into a spirit of prayer for peace.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe pray for an end to all types of racism and discrimination,\u201d he said. \u201cWe pray for an increase of love.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Responsorial Psalm for Tuesday\u2019s Mass \u00a0brought a poignance to the liturgy, as the words taken from Psalm 34 reflect the distress of the current times: \u201cWhen the poor one called out, the Lord heard, and from all his distress he saved him. \u2026 from all their distress God rescues the just.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his homily, Archbishop P\u00e9rez told the congregation that \u201cthe Lord indeed rescues the just. We trust in His mercy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Archbishop addressed that distress which we see every day on our televisions, our computer screens and our phones, images from a world away and from within our country and our own city.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t take a lot to see what\u2019s going on in our world these days. Sometimes more than not, what we see is not the best version of ourselves. We see scary things, things that actually bring us sadness. It\u2019s almost like we can\u2019t get away from it. Our country, our city, right away, it just comes upon us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat has an effect on our hearts. It has an effect on our souls.\u201d<\/p>\n
He spoke of the immigration crisis in the United States with his powerful perspective as the son of immigrants, refugees from Cuba who came to the U.S. during the Castro regime.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey came to this country seeking a better life for themselves. They came here seeking something better for their kids. They didn\u2019t come here because they had nothing else to live for. They came here seeking a better life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI stand deeply grateful and aware that I am part of their sacrifices. And we all have those scars. In particular, some of our brothers and sisters are experiencing them here. You see some of those images.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also see the other side, those that are there to actually serve and protect us,\u201d he said of the nation\u2019s law enforcement personnel. \u201cWe care for them. We love them. They\u2019re also in a difficult spot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Archbishop P\u00e9rez ended his homily by quoting Pope Leo XIV, a man educated at Villanova University in the Augustinian charism.<\/p>\n
St. Augustine, the pope wrote in his message for the World Day of Peace<\/a> on Jan. 1, 2026, \u201curged Christians to forge an unbreakable bond with peace, so that by cherishing it deeply in their hearts, they would be able to radiate its luminous warmth around them.<\/p>\n\u201cAddressing his community, (the saint) wrote: \u2018If you wish to draw others to peace, first have it yourselves; be steadfast in peace yourselves. To inflame others, you must have the flame burning within.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Concluding his homily, Archbishop P\u00e9rez quoted Pope Leo\u2019s message saying, \u201cPeace is more than just a goal; it is a presence and a journey. Even when it is endangered within us and around us, like a small flame threatened by a storm, we must protect it, never forgetting the names and stories of those who have borne witness to it. Peace is a principle that guides and defines our choices.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Jay Sorgi \u2022 Posted February 27, 2026 The nation\u2019s Catholic leaders are asking everyone to pray for…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":621703,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5132],"tags":[5229,44941,265594,409,19494,12489,1448,2830,1311,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":["post-621702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-america","tag-cathedral-basilica-of-saints-peter-and-paul","tag-day-of-prayer-for-peace","tag-immigration","tag-jay-sorgi","tag-migration","tag-pa","tag-pennsylvania","tag-philadelphia","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116146903831872476","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=621702"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621702\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/621703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=621702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=621702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=621702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}