Archbishop urges prayers for peace in Iraq

In light of escalating violence and threats against Christians in Iraq, Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron is urging Catholics in metro Detroit to pray for peace. The Archbishop made the following statement:

“The Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Detroit offers its ardent prayers for all those suffering the effects of violence in Iraq, including those Christians being persecuted for their faith. With a unified voice we pray that the power of good may overcome the threat of evil. May Saint Mary, the Mother of God, intercede for our brothers and sisters in Iraq, and offer a model of peace for all people.”

Archbishop Vigneron, who in 2010 attended the Vatican’s Synod of Bishops for the Middle East, tomorrow will be a principal co-consecrator at the ordination of Bishop-elect Frank Kalabat as he becomes the new bishop of the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle, which includes the growing Chaldean Catholic community in metro Detroit and the entire eastern United States. The ordination is at 11 a.m., Saturday, June 14, at Mother of God Chaldean Church, 25585 Berg Road in Southfield, MI.