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Cardinal Dolan will lead Solemn Evening Prayers in memory and remembrance of the Christian martyrs of Africa Monday, June 29 at 6 p.m. at Holy Family Church, 315 E. 47 St. in Manhattan.
Also scheduled to participate are Archbishop Bernardito Auza, papal nuncio to the United Nations, and Archbishop Charles Balvo, papal nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan, a native New Yorker who was ordained a priest of the archdiocese.
Representation from the diplomatic corps of the United Nations is also anticipated. So, too, is representation from parishes across the archdiocese, including from some of the African Catholic communities. Church leaders of other Christian denominations also plan to attend. Representation from the Jewish and Muslim communities is also expected.
Brother Tyrone Davis, C.F.C., executive director of the archdiocesan Office of Black Ministry, is among the coordinators of the Vespers service.
“One of the things that the cardinal wants to happen through calling us together in prayer is that we might become more aware of the situation,” Brother Tyrone said of those who, in present day, are being persecuted for the faith.
Brother Tyrone said the cardinal has communicated to him “a real sense of urgency,” in particular, “a pastoral urgency,” of the need “to stand up, make a statement and shed some light on this situation.”
Specifically, the situation is that “Christians, and Catholics, are being martyred and persecuted around the world at levels that are higher than they have ever been in the history of man,” Brother Tyrone said.
Brother Tyrone acknowledged as well the astute leadership of Pope Francis in issuing “some very strong statements about the level of cruelty involved in certain situations, but in the cumulative increase of Christian martyrdom.”
“On more than one occasion,” continued Brother Tyrone, “the Holy Father has said, and been very emphatic about it, that there are more Christians being martyred today than there were in the early centuries of the Church.”
The faithful across the archdiocese who attend the prayer service at Holy Family Church should bring a mindset that focuses on the sacredness of all human life, Brother Tyrone suggests, “that we’re all created in the image and likeness of God, and therefore our lives are sacred, and the taking of life is something that we should be concerned about.”
An open mind and a prayerful heart will also aid those who attend the prayer service, he said.
“We need to be praying for all those who are suffering or being persecuted, whether it be in Africa, the Middle East or anywhere else in the world,” Brother Tyrone said.
The bottom line, Brother Tyrone said, is that “prayer can change things. Heightened awareness,” he added, “can also change things.”
Families, including children accompanied by their parents, are particularly encouraged to attend. “We think it will be a great teaching moment,” Brother Tyrone said. “This is something we should be teaching each other about. At the core of this we’re teaching about the sacredness of life. This is a respect life issue.”
World events throughout the ages, he continued, have shown “that when evil is able to be accomplished in relative secret or with little knowledge or response, it continues, if not escalates.”
Brother Tyrone believes that many who perpetuate such violence “are really counting on the fact that few people know what they’re doing, therefore fewer people are responding to them to say in whatever way they can, this must end.”
As in all things, consolation can be found in the Catholic faith. “Christ had His own Good Friday that led to the glorious Easter Sunday, and the continued growth of the Church,” Brother Tyrone concluded.
“We have that lesson above all other lessons.”
