St. Mary of the Woods, Ind. (WTHI) – It has been five months since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Here in the Wabash Valley, a group of faith leaders continues to call for an end to this.
Ceasefire prayer vigil
On Thursday, the Sisters of Providence hosted a ceasefire vigil.
Sister Barbara Batista says the war “requires immediate national action, prayer and witness.”
“What we are seeing now is that Palestinians in Gaza are being subjected to mass atrocities,” Batista said.
Batista is a champion of justice for the Sisters of Providence.
She helped with the wake Thursday.
It included prayer, quiet reflection, and music.
She believes that holding events like the vigil will mobilize the response needed to end the war and ultimately bring peace to the region.
Batista wasn't the only one involved in this effort.
Sherry Daly says she came to the vigil to end the chaos in the world.
Daly says prayer may be one of the few ways to reach out to those in power.
“Regardless of our religion, regardless of our background, we all feel some level of anguish at the suffering and pain that is happening around the world,” Daly said.
Religious leaders who attended the vigil said everyone can make a difference.
Battista says simple actions like talking to your neighbors or writing a letter to your local representative can make a difference. But she stresses that people cannot remain silent.
“When human prosperity is at risk, we need to speak up,” Batista said.
Batista told News 10 there is strength in numbers.
