Prayers for Peace

DeSales University held a campus-wide prayer service for peace in response to a global appeal from Pope Leo XIV.

The Holy Father issued his call on April 11 during an international prayer vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica, where people of different religions and cultures gathered in a unified plea for peace. “We want to be united as brothers and sisters, united in a world of peace,” Pope Leo said. He emphasized that lasting peace requires a transformation of the human heart rooted in dialogue, reconciliation, and respect for human dignity.

That same message resonated in the United States during a Vigil Mass for Peace held in Washington, D.C., where Cardinal Robert McElroy delivered a homily reflecting on the risen Christ’s greeting, “Peace be with you.” McElroy described peace as both a divine gift and a human responsibility.

Fr. Dan Lannen, OSFS, DeSales University chaplain, organized and hosted the prayer service on campus. The service provided a space for communal prayer and reflection on and for peace. The purpose was to not only respond to the pope’s call but also inspire concrete efforts toward peace and unity on campus and beyond.

“Our mission calls us to resist cynicism, to refuse the easy language of enmity, and to recommit ourselves—intellectually, spiritually, and personally—to the dignity of every human life. Peace begins not only in global forums and halls of power, but right here on campus: in our classrooms, residence halls, offices, conversations, and in the daily choices we make to be true bearers of peace.” - Fr. Jim Greenfield, OSFS, President of DeSales University