Catholics are being encouraged to join their prayers with those of Pope Francis on
Friday 25 March, when he consecrates Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We will be praying this prayer as a staff community at school on Friday. St Paul’s Parish is also holding a special prayer service on Friday evening from 11 pm. See the parish website and school newsletter for more information. Please join your prayers to ours and those across the world as we pray for peace.
The Vatican has sent bishops around the world the text of the prayer that Pope Francis will lead on March 25 for the consecration of Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
This is the prayer of consecration:
O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, in this time of trial we turn to you. As our Mother, you love us and know us: no concern of our hearts is hidden from you. Mother of mercy, how often we have experienced your watchful care and your peaceful presence! You never cease to guide us to Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Yet we have strayed from that path of peace. We have forgotten the lesson learned from the tragedies of the last century, the sacrifice of the millions who fell in two world wars. We have disregarded the commitments we made as a community of nations. We have betrayed peoples’ dreams of peace and the hopes of the young. We grew sick with greed, we thought only of our own nations and their interests, we grew indifferent and caught up in our selfish needs and concerns. We chose to ignore God, to be satisfied with our illusions, to grow arrogant and aggressive, to suppress innocent lives and to stockpile weapons. We stopped being our neighbour’s keepers and stewards of our common home. We have ravaged the garden of the earth with war and by our sins we have broken the heart of our heavenly Father, who desires us to be brothers and sisters. We grew indifferent to everyone and everything except ourselves. Now with shame we cry out: Forgive us, Lord!