Coalition announces global prayer and fasting campaign to combat scandal and crises in our Church and the world

"International week of prayer and fasting begins soon" (CatholicMom.com)

Image credit: Pixabay (2013), CC0 Public Domain[/caption] 26^th International Week of Prayer and Fasting begins soon Today our Catholic faith and the world face unprecedented crises: escalating global terrorism, especially against Christians, widespread civil unrest, the accelerating breakdown of marriage and family life, and corruption, scandal and immorality throughout our chuches and world. In response to these crises, an international coalition of Catholic organizations is mobilizing for the 26^th International Week of Prayer and Fasting (IWOPF) from September 29 – October 7, 2018. This year the Coalition is uniting with The Marians of the Immaculate Conception, Legion of Mary, Regnum Christi, Priests for Life, Sisters for Life, Rosary Coast to Coast, and many other groups to pray and fast:

for Peace and the Conversion of all Peoples and Nations
to Build a Culture of Life
to Defend the Sanctity of Marriage and Family Life
to Implore God for Holiness for His Church

Father Gary Thomas, exorcist for the Diocese of San Jose, California, who was portrayed in the movie, “The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist,” said; “Catholics know that the devil seeks our destruction and is forever looking for openings to destroy God’s Church and harm souls.” Father Thomas further said, “By sexually abusing children, Satan desires to destroy the icon of the kingdom of God. He wants to destroy the most innocent version of humanity, which is the child.” The scandalous behavior, in his opinion, was clearly demonic. For the sake of the Church, Father Thomas calls on all Catholics to pray, fast and to act wherever possible to root out evil. For the opening day of the 26^th International Week of Prayer and Fasting (which will be livestreamed on IWOPF.org) — Saturday, September 29 — people are asked to participate in an all-day Eucharistic Prayer Vigil for our nation, our world, and our church at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., from 9 AM – 4:30 PM. Registration is FREE online at IWOPF.org, where you can also register to pledge your prayers and fasting. People around the globe are also urged to participate as individuals, families, schools, and parishes by attending daily Masses and holy hours, going to Confession, praying the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and fasting for the goals of this week. This year the Coalition is excited to partner with Rosary Coast to Coast to conclude the nine days at the National Rosary Rally on Sunday, October 7 on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. See RosaryCoastToCoast.com. Basilica Opening Day on Saturday, September 29, 2018, beginning at 9 a.m. ET live-streamed all day at iwopf.org will include: Dynamic speakers; the Global Living Rosary prayed by the Asian, African, and Hispanic communities, as well as members of the Youth Rosary; Procession of the Nations before the noon Mass; and recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet and confession throughout the day. Speakers will be:

Bishop Roy Edward Campbell, Jr., Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., who will be the Celebrant and Homilist for the noon Mass.
Colleen Willard, miraculous survivor of an inoperable brain tumor and multiple health problems, wheelchair bound and in constant, severe pain. After Colleen’s spiritual journey to a major Marian Apparition site, she able to walk again and was miraculously healed.
Ted Flynn, bestselling author of The Thunder of Justice: The Warning, The Miracle, The Chastisement, The Era of Peace (co-written with Maureen Flynn); The Hope of the Wicked: The Master Plan to Rule the World; and others. Ted has been a guest on radio shows, spoken at conferences and seminars, and produced two Catholic Films.
Fr. Francis J. Peffley, ordained in 1990 in the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, and currently serves as the associate pastor at St. Mary of Sorrows in Fairfax, Virginia. Father Peffley is active with the parish young adults ministry, retreat work and pilgrimages, Catholic apologetics, and evangelization.
Fr. Robert Altier, associate pastor of the Church of St. Raphael in Crystal, Minnesota, has developed a series of thirty minute-filmed programs entitled Beauty, Truth, and Goodness: Fundamentals of Catholicism Catechetical Series, which have aired on EWTN since April of 2018, and will continue until May 2019.

In the words of Coalition chairperson Maureen Flynn, “The current grave crisis in the Church and the world can only be fully remedied by Heaven’s spiritual weapons of the Holy Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, the Holy Rosary and fasting. Our Lord, His Blessed Mother and the saints have told us that these spiritual weapons will destroy evil.” “As the evil in our world is being exposed, we know that God’s light is shining in the darkness and that as Our Lady said at Fatima, ‘In the end … My Immaculate Heart will triumph,’” Flynn added. In 2014, the International Week of Prayer and Fasting movement received an apostolic blessing from Pope Francis. The movement also received two apostolic blessings from Pope Saint John Paul II and heartfelt support from Saint Teresa of Calcutta, who proclaimed: “You must do this week – God wants this. Prayer is the answer to the world’s problems.”