Dear Parishioners and Friends,
In a world marked by unrest and uncertainty, the call to peace remains an urgent one. In his address in Algiers on 13 April, Pope Leo XIV reminded us that peace is not simply the absence of conflict, but a gift that must be welcomed, nurtured, and courageously lived.
Pope Leo spoke of peace as something deeply rooted in the human heart. It begins to bear fruit in the quiet choices we make each day. We need to listen rather than to judge, to forgive rather than to hold onto resentment, to seek understanding rather than to insist on being right. Peace grows when we allow God’s grace to shape our hearts into instruments of reconciliation.
At the Maqam Echahid Martyrs’ Monument, Pope Leo urged forgiveness and said that “the future belongs to men and women of peace”, insisting that peace needs to be rooted in justice, dignity, and forgiveness.
“God desires peace for every nation: a peace that is not merely an absence of conflict but one that is an expression of justice and dignity,” he said. “This peace, which allows us to face the future with a reconciled spirit, is possible only through forgiveness.”
For us as a parish community, this message is both a challenge and an invitation. Peace begins here, within our families, our relationships, and our parish life. It is reflected in the way we speak to one another, the way we resolve disagreements, and the way we welcome those who feel on the margins. Each small act of kindness, each gesture of patience, becomes a seed of peace in a troubled world.
Above all, peace is a gift of the Risen Christ. His first words after the Resurrection, spoken to his disciples, were: “Peace be with you.” Jesus was greeting them and sending them on a mission. We too are sent to carry that peace into our homes, our workplaces, and our society.
May we receive this gift with open hearts. And may we become, in our time and place, true witnesses of the peace that Christ alone can give.
God bless you with peace.
Fr Silvio