Bishop Solis starts prayer initiative for Salt Lake diocese

Friday, May. 08, 2020

SALT LAKE CITY — To help build the Church in Utah, Bishop Oscar A. Solis is rolling out a diocesan-wide prayer intention initiative that asks parishioners to join him in praying for the world and the Catholic community in Utah, as he commits to praying for their needs. 

“We are in solidarity as a Church in Utah, helping each other, praying with and for each other, especially during these troubling times,” Bishop Solis said.

Praying for another supports a person’s faith and hope, letting him or her know he or she is not alone and that someone cares, the bishop added. 

Prayer is a necessity in the Christian life, said Karin Hurley, director of the Diocese of Salt Lake City’s Office of Stewardship and Development. With Bishop Solis’ “Raising Our Prayers, Raising Our Hopes” prayer initiative, “people will pray for the needs of our brothers and sisters, and Bishop Solis will pray for the needs of the people. This is an opportunity to strengthen our spiritual bond as a faith community.”

The prayer initiative, which will begin May 8, will be coordinated by Hurley’s office.

“In this time of crisis, we know that there are a great many people in need of many things, not the least of which is prayer,” Hurley said. “One aspect of Catholic teaching is that in times of crisis, we can never give up on hope.”

The initial diocesan prayer intentions are:

– We hold in prayer all those who are suffering from the coronavirus, especially those who have died and their loved ones. 

– We pray for all those who lost their jobs or are experiencing financial burdens, personal concerns and other challenges in their life as a result of the ongoing crisis.

– We hold in prayer the clergy of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, as they continue to shepherd our faith communities amidst challenges and the unknown.

– We pray for all the medical personnel and first responders who are working tirelessly to save lives and keep our communities safe.

– We pray for all of the young people in our communities, most especially those achieving milestones like graduations.

– We pray that you and your families are safe and healthy, and for those who are isolated and alone.

New prayer intentions will be published on the diocesan website and social media. “We’re hoping that people and families will pick one intention each week and, over the course of several weeks, concentrate their prayer for that particular intention,” Hurley said. 

Personal prayer intentions can be submitted electronically on the diocesan website, www.dioslc.org, through social media, or mailed by filling out the form in the Intermountain Catholic. Bishop Solis will add these personal intentions to his daily prayers.

Those who submit a prayer intention will receive a response from Bishop Solis’ office so that they know their intention has been received and has been prayed for, Hurley said.