Holy Family Parish, Woodruff, responded to the recent upheaval in Iraq by hosting an ecumenical prayer vigil Aug. 20. The speaker, Dominican Sr. Elizabeth Amman, spoke of her sisters’ flight from the Middle Eastern country, where Islamic State terrorists are persecuting minority Christian and Muslim groups. More than 80 people participated in the event. (Submitted photo by Lee Ann Niebuhr)
More than 80 people of various faith traditions came together Aug. 20 to pray for peace in Iraq.
Holy Family Parish, Woodruff, hosted a prayer vigil the day after James Foley, a U.S. reporter and Catholic, was beheaded by militant Islamists.
Dominican Sr. Elizabeth Amman spoke on how members of her order in Iraq have been forced to flee, convert or pay an exorbitant tax that funds the Islamic State terrorists. The sisters chose to flee without possessions.
Holy Family’s prayer vigil included prayers from many faith traditions. During the evening, participants lit candles from the Holy Family Peace Candle to signify their commitment to promote and pray for peace. The service ended with the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Iraq’s Prayer for Peace.
