Fr Robert McCabe, a priest of Meath Diocese, circulated an email during the week. In it, he asked that we might encourage people to walk all or part of the way to Mass on Sunday, August 31st. He sees this as an opportunity to show our solidarity with displaced Christians in Iraq and other regions who have been forced to leave their homes and parishes or risk immediate death.
The image in this photo is a symbol sprayed on the walls of Christian homes to mark them as such. The marking is so that the homes may be clearly identified as homes to be targeted for persecution.
The email could easily be ignored – indeed there was a strong temptation to do so but the truth remains that people are suffering horrendous torture and oppression at this time. Fr McCabe’s intentions are good and honourable and, quite likely merit an active response.
So the invitation is going out this weekend. If you are coming to Mass in your parish next Sunday, would you consider walking some of the way or all of the way? Each step taken is for someone forced to walk. The hope too is that some political awareness might be drawn to the steps taken and a more robust response be found.
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