UISG calls for worldwide Day of Fasting and Prayer for peace on August 14

As wars and conflicts continue to afflict people across the globe, from Gaza to Sudan, from Ukraine to Myanmar, from Haiti to the Democratic Republic of Congo, to Syria, the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) has issued an urgent appeal for a worldwide Day of Fasting and Prayer for Peace on August 14, the eve of the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary.

According to Vatican News, the UISG’s appeal is rooted in the conviction that prayer, solidarity, and concrete action are powerful responses to the immense suffering caused by war, displacement, and injustice.

“As women of peace, present in the peripheries of the world and immersed in the suffering of humanity,” the UISG Sisters said in their statement, “we feel the urgent need to raise our voices, unite our hearts, pray and take action.”

They highlighted that in many places “faces are marked by pain, homes are destroyed, communities are torn apart,” and that women and children often bear the greatest burden of these tragedies.

Three concrete actions will guide the observance of August 14:

• Pray together and reflect on the Word of God, in the light of current wars and humanitarian crises.
• Call for justice and reconciliation, urging both civil and Church leaders to pursue peace, disarmament, and the protection of human rights.
• Engage in concrete solidarity by supporting those who suffer, through networks of welcome and humanitarian assistance.

“We cannot wait. Peace must be built,  and it must be built together,” the UISG affirmed.

As reported by Vatican News, the UISG has made online resources available to help communities and individuals participate, including a prayer guide and statements of solidarity. The initiative is a reminder that even in a world marked by violence, the light of the Gospel, justice, and fraternity can still shine through.