On June 19 2009 the 7th annual World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests was celebrated, which this year marked the beginning of the "Year of the Priest" as announced by Pope Benedict XVI from June 19 2009 to June 19 2010.
In a unique celebration on June 19 2009 Worldpriest organized four masses through four different time zones.
The first mass was from Sydney in Australia at 3pm local time, the second mass from Kerala in India at 3pm local time celebrant Father Sebastian Koodappattu, OCD Provincial of the Malabar Indian Province of the Carmelite Fathers, the third from Knock Shrine in Ireland at 3pm local time the main celebrant was Archbishop Michael Neary and the fourth mass from New York USA at 3pm local time the main celebrant being Monsignor Michael Curran; Vice President of Worldpriest INC this marked a very special day of prayer for priests and the beginning of the "year of prayer for priest".
On Sunday 21 June, a fifth Mass for Worldpriestday organized by the Worldpriest Not-Profit-Organization was celebrated in the RTE Irish National television studios by Fr. Brendan Kilcoyne, President of St. Jarlaths College Tuam Co. Galway; The Music was by the Classicus Youth Chamber Choir, directed by Maire Butler, with organist Ronan Murray.
John Paul II has established
that on the solemnity of the Sacred Heart the Church will observe the
World Day of prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.
Annual Day of Prayer for Priests
In 2002, the Catholic Church announced a special annual world priest
day, a day of prayer for the sanctification of priests to be held on
the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The 2008 World Day of Prayer for Priests has been a tremendous success.
We are most grateful to all who participated in making this day such
a special gift to our 400,000 priests worldwide.
We are now especially interested in receiving messages from lay people
young and old alike, to be viewed on line. We also ask priests to share
their stories of ministry with their brother priests and the lay people
of the world on line.
We strongly encourage each and every one of the faithful to begin if
not already doing so to pray for our priests, today, this day this very
moment, in preparation through prayer, celebration of the Mass and Eucharistic
Adoration, so that June 19 2009 will be an even greater celebration
of the priesthood of Jesus Christ worldwide.
Who we are
We are a group of committed Catholic Communication /Advertising laypeople,
who love and cherish the priesthood of Jesus Christ, we have set up
this website to facilitate the World Day of Prayer for Priests. It is
our prayer that this website may be a gateway to a deeper understanding
of the priesthood of Christ as exercised by our priests, a priesthood
in which, by virtue of our baptism, we all share.
We affirm our Priests
It is timely that we express our appreciation to so many priests who
are indeed a daily reflection of Christ's love for his people. We wish
to express our love for our priests and provide them with the support
and encouragement they deserve. We express great joy in affirming and
encouraging our priests as the servants of God's people. We are also
encouraging people around the world to stop whatever they are doing
at 3pm local time and spend a quiet moment praying in thanksgiving for
our priests and contemplating the gift of priesthood.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
Together with you, we wish to thank God for our priests and pray that
they may be holy and competent pastors, capable of leading even in the
complex and difficult times we live in. We pray for them that their
faith may not fail, that they may feel themselves surrounded by the
caring love of their people and of the whole church.
The meaning of Priesthood
We wish to bring into focus the true meaning of the priesthood as the
means by which Christ is present among his people. We wish to promote
an understanding of the immense dignity and beauty of the vocation of
the ministerial priesthood in all its fullness and variety.
The Feast of the Sacred Heart
The feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus has not been chosen without
good reason. It is the feast of the humanity of God incarnate. It reveals
to us the very heart of Jesus, beating with love for all people of all
times. Priests are called to listen to that heartbeat and become ‘other
Christs’ among God’s people. They truly need our prayers as we need theirs.
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