Members of the Knights of Columbus and their families around the world are encouraged to pray for their respective countries on August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is being observed Orderwide as a Day of Prayer for Peace and Reconciliation.

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson called for the August 15 observance in his Annual Report to the 135th Supreme Convention, August 1 in St. Louis. Citing the recent increase in political violence, including the shooting of members of Congress last June on a baseball field outside of Washington, D.C., he said:

“Violence and the rhetoric of violence have no place as a style of politics in America or any other country. … I call upon all my brother Knights and their families to again seek the intercession of Mary, Queen of Peace.”

Quoting from the Holy Father’s message for the 50th World Day of Peace, Anderson said, “Pope Francis urged people everywhere to adopt nonviolence as a style of politics — a style based on the recognition, ‘that the image and likeness of God in each person will enable us to acknowledge one another as sacred gifts endowed with immense dignity.’”

The supreme knight noted that words of Pope Benedict XVI, repeated by Pope Francis in his World Day of Peace message, struck him as especially appropriate for today’s political climate: “For Christians, nonviolence is not merely tactical behavior but a person’s way of being — the attitude of one who is so convinced of God’s love and power that he or she is not afraid to tackle evil with the weapons of love and truth alone.”

“Convinced of God’s Love and Power” was the theme of this year’s Supreme Convention.

In his report, Supreme Knight Anderson noted that “Pope Francis signed his message of peace on the feast of the Immaculate Conception” and asked “Can it simply be a coincidence that the Immaculate Conception is named patroness of the United States?” The prayer cards for the Day of Prayer for Peace and Reconciliation feature a mosaic depiction of the Immaculate Conception from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

DAY OF PRAYER FOR PEACE AND RECONCILIATION
Solemnity of the Assumption • Aug. 15, 2017

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness and our hope!
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.
To thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us
and after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Amen.

Repeat three times:

We fly to your protection, O holy Mother of God;
despise not our petitions in our necessities,
but deliver us from all dangers,
O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.

Mary Immaculate, Queen of Peace,
pray for us and our country!