MILWAUKEE — Amid the violence in the Middle East, the Cathedral of St. John Evangelist hosted a Holy Hour for Peace on Monday.
Fr. Tim Kitzke is the rector of the downtown Milwaukee cathedral. He said in these times of uncertainty, people need to come together despite their differences.
“The first thing we need to do is come together in unity, but also then pray, and also have a sense that somehow it is possible to be together even sometimes in the great diversity so we can begin to model that to the world,” said Kitzke.
Kitzke said people feel like they have no control and need to find a place of peace inside themselves.
“What we are is we are letting go to the fact that what prayer does is acknowledge that there are greater powers at work to help us, especially when our hearts are spinning a little bit,” said Kitzke.
Rebecca Pettit attended the service. She said she finds comfort in Kitzke’s words. She said she showed up to find some hope.
“I’m here because I think we are in very sad shape; I don’t know how people can hate as much as they hate and I’m here because I believe in God and I hope this will work,” said Pettit.
Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki attended the mass to offer the Benediction. He said he believes the power of prayer is what will help people get through.
“There is no doubt about the power of prayer, individuals of faith — there is no argument that needs to be made; people know that when you pray, you acknowledge that God is with you,” said Listecki.
Listecki said the Catholic community stands with the Jewish people against the terror they are experiencing in the Middle East.
“What happens is, when we are confronted with violence, people can choose to do two things: They can run and they can try to hide or they can stand firm against the evil that is there and when we stand firm against the evil, I am totally convinced that good conquers evil,” said Listecki.
It’s an outlook Kitzke shares with the archbishop. He said he reminds members of his church to take a stand through their faith and rise above the hate.
“I really want to send out the message far and wide that terror, violence, war, crime, the diminishment of the respect for any human person lessens all of us, and what we need to do is work hard wherever we’re at, so if we can’t get over there ourselves, at least here we are going to start, kind of like a pebble in a lake, you start and hopefully the concentric circles will spread,” said Kitzke.
