Pax Christi Maine Holding Nuclear Disarmament Prayer Vigil and Novena on August 1-9

Pax Christi Maine, with support from St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Bangor, invites all to participate in a novena for nuclear disarmament, including a special prayer vigil on August 6.

The novena will run from Monday, August 1, through Tuesday, August 9. A nuclear disarmament prayer vigil will be held on Saturday, August 6, the 77^th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, from 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. The prayer vigil will be held at Davenport Park on Main and Cedar Streets in Bangor and will include music, periods of silence, the tolling of bells, and prayer. All are encouraged to gather to pray for nuclear disarmament, peace, and to further the creation of a world committed to nonviolence.

A novena for nuclear disarmament (below)will begin on Monday, August 1, to implore the Blessed Mother's intercession as we remember the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and ask Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to help us prayerfully consider the historical and ongoing human and environmental costs of allowing nuclear weapons in our society and world.

To participate, please reflect on each daily intention; pray the Rosary or recite an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be; and conclude with the novena prayer:

Mother of Christ and Queen of Peace: we pray with all fervor for the peace which our divine Redeemer came to bring us. May Christ banish from the souls of all whatever might endanger peace. May Christ transform us into witnesses of truth, justice, and filial love. May Christ illumine with His light the leaders of governments so that, besides caring for the proper material welfare of their peoples, they may also guarantee them the fairest gift of peace without fear of nuclear annihilation.

Day 1 - Monday, August 1
Today we pray for the determination never again to use atomic energy as weapons of war. May we heed Pope Francis' call for "for prayer and commitment to a world completely free of nuclear weapons."

Day 2-Tuesday, August 2
Today we pray for solidarity with all indigenous peoples impacted by uranium mining, atomic bomb testing, and the long-term storage of nuclear waste on their sacred lands. May we work toward real solutions to rectify these many wrongs done to our sisters and brothers.

Day 3-Wednesday, August 3
Today we pray for the people impacted by nuclear weapons research, development, testing, and use in the United States and around the world. May we understand the real human, financial, and environmental costs of developing, maintaining, and expanding nuclear arsenals, even as many continue to suffer from a lack of basic human needs such as food, clothing, housing, education, and healthcare.

Day 4-Thursday, August 4
Today we pray for forgiveness, especially for those times when we have opted for violence instead of reconciliation. May we follow God's way of encounter and dialogue for the resolution of all conflicts.

Day 5-Friday, August 5
Today we pray for the wisdom to understand fully the devastating consequences of using nuclear weapons, and for the fortitude never to justify their use again.

Day 6-Saturday, August 6
Today we pray for the people of Hiroshima on the 77th anniversary of its bombing. As they continue to bear the wounds of nuclear warfare, may they know healing and peace.

Day 7-Sunday, August 7
Today we pray for all who are involved in conflicts and war around the globe, especially the people of Ukraine and Russia. May all forms of aggression cease and may every nation renew efforts to reestablish lasting peace.

Day 8-Monday, August 8
Today we pray for people of the Pacific islands and atolls who suffered, and continue to suffer, from radiation-related illnesses, birth defects, and environmental destruction as a direct result of nuclear testing.

Day 9-Tuesday, August 9
Today we pray for the people of Nagasaki on the 77th anniversary of its bombing. As they continue to bear the wounds of nuclear warfare, may they know healing and peace. May we say "never again" to the use of nuclear weapons.

Pax Christi Maine is a community of faith that strives to live according to the teachings of the nonviolent Jesus and is rooted in Gospel nonviolence and Catholic social teaching. Membership is open to anyone who shares in the commitment to nonviolence and the creation of a just society. For more information about the novena or the prayer vigil, contact Mike Murphy at [email protected] or Mary Ellen Quinn at [email protected].

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