Prayer Service
Journey with the Sudanese
people for peace
In 2011 the people of
southern Sudan voted
to secede from the
north by an
overwhelming
majority. The
referendum was
unprecedented in its
nonviolence, in the
people’s insistence
upon peace.
Voting in Hai Jalaba, a polling station in Juba, Sudan.
Photo by Sara A. Fajardo/ CRS
The 101 days
leading up to the
election were
marked by prayer
throughout the
world for a peaceful
process.
Little Angels school teacher Oscar Noel Bwire, 24, leads
students in prayer in Bor, Sudan in October 2010 just a few
months before the referendum. Photo by Sara A. Fajardo/CRS
And the prayer was
heard. And it was
answered.
Sudan will never be the
same again.
While there is great joy,
there are also those who
are saddened at the
division of our country.
There are fears and
concerns about the
future. Problems still
remain.
- Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference
A young man in Juba carries the new flag of South Sudan.
Photo by Kim Pozniak/CRS
And so we must
continue to lift our
hearts in prayer,
and our voices in
solidarity with
people who long
for peace.
Members of the Legion of Mary of St. Theresa Cathedral of Juba ,
South Sudan, participate in their first mass in an independent nation.
Photo by Sara A. Fajardo/ CRS
A version of the
following prayer
was used in the
101 days of
prayer leading
up to Sudan’s
referendum.
Photo by Kim Pozniak/CRS
Let us pray
We pray with Catechist Paustino Jada who helps tend the church in Palotaka, Magwi.
Lord Jesus,
who said to us:
"I leave you peace.
My peace I give you”:
Photo by Karen Kasmauski for CRS
We pray with the members of Paustino Jada’s church,
which has been damaged by war and disrepair, yet
keeps its door open despite decades of violence.
Look upon our Sudanese
sisters and brothers,
as they continue the
struggle for peace.
Photo by Karen Kasmauski for CRS
We pray with this boy from the village of Lualdit, in Jonglei State, who listens in on a health training .
Give them the
wisdom they need
to choose
their future.
Photo by Sara A. Fajardo/ CRS
We pray with this woman from West Darfur who relied on food from Catholic Relief Services and
other charities when violence brought hunger to her village in 2009.
Where they will
know your true
peace.
Photo by Debbie DeVoe /CRS
We pray with those who rejoiced at the independence of their new country, as delegations from around the globe
helped usher in the world's newest nation-the Republic of South Sudan-in Juba, South Sudan, on Saturday, July 9, 2011.
You call us out of
slavery,
oppression,
and persecution
Photo by Sara A. Fajardo/ CRS
We pray with Sandy and her mother Atoo Joska, who provides child care for young mothers in job
training in Magwi, Sudan.
So that we
may have
life in
abundance.
Photo by Karen Kasmauski for CRS
We pray with the children of Jonglei, whose state is inaccessible six months out of the year
because of rain and mud.
Grant us
peace with
one
another.
Photo by Sara A. Fajardo/ CRS
We pray with those in South Sudan who lit candles and planted trees on the eve of independence to
remind each other that their country would need care and cultivation for it to prosper.
Give
peace
among
ethnic
groups.
Photo by Sara A. Fajardo/ CRS
We pray with Drabuga Henry Simon Osodsi (left), Caroline Auavo and Father Mawa of Nimule, Sudan, as they
share the locking of a box of funds that is lent to a different community group each year.
Help us to
work
together
for the
good of
all.
Photo by Karen Kasmauski for CRS
We pray with Father Joseph Otto of St. Theresa Paris in Magwi as he presides at daily Mass.
We ask this
in your name,
Lord Jesus.
Amen.
Photo by Karen Kasmauski for CRS
We pray with the people of Wau, South Sudan, who remember a
time when the cathedral in their city was one of the few safe
places where people from throughout the city could meet and
celebrate together.
Mary
Queen of Peace,
pray for us.
Photo by Sara A. Fajardo/ CRS
We pray with Saint Josephine Bakhita of Sudan for all women who have been trafficked, enslaved and raped
during the hostilities in Darfur.
Saint
Josephine
Bakhita,
pray for us.
Photo by David Snyder/CRS
We pray with Saint Daniel Comboni, a missionary of Sudan, for all who work tirelessly for Sudan’s future,
such as these young men who learned masonry after fleeing violence in southern Sudan.
Saint
Daniel
Comboni,
pray for
us.
Photo by CRS staff
We pray with the parishioners of All Saints Catholic Church in Rajef, Juba, Sudan, as they worship.
All
Holy men
and women
of God,
pray for us.
Photo by Karen Kasmauski for CRS
Please continue your prayers for peace for our Sudanese brothers and
sisters.
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