Day of prayer and penance for the Vicariate

26 March 2015 (Abu Dhabi).

Bishop Paul Hinder asks all the faithful of the Vicariate of Southern Arabia to observe a "Day of Prayer and Penance."

In a message to all the faithful of the Vicariate, the Bishop wrote in his recent Pastoral Letter the following lines:

"Reconciliation and peace are gifts we can obtain only through prayer. As you celebrate Holy Week and the Paschal Triduum this year, remember in particular all who are discriminated against, tortured, expelled from their homes, abused, and killed. Let us pray for persecuted Christians around the world, especially in the Middle East.

I propose that Wednesday of Holy Week (1 April, 2015) be a special day of prayer and penance for our suffering brothers and sisters; a day of fasting and abstinence like Good Friday. We can say the novena of Our Lady of Perpetual Help with this special intention as we also call Mary “Help of Christians”. Let us remind ourselves that she is the patroness of our parish in Sana’a (Yemen)."

All the faithful are requested to observe this day of prayer in a special way, and are invited to pray for peace in the region.