Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Christians in global prayer drive for safe release of Fr. dall'Oglio

In response to an initiative born in Iraq, a group of associations close to the mission of the Jesuit Father Paolo dall'Oglio - the Italian-born priest abducted in Syria on July 29 last year - has decided to hold a prayer drive Wednesday, January 29th to show solidarity and pray for his safe release .

The missionary was kidnapped six months ago in Raqqa in the north of the country, in an area under the control of the Islamic State in Iraq and of the East, and since then there has been no news of his whereabouts or well-being.

A monk bound by a deep friendship with Fr. Dall'Oglio instigated the initiative of solidarity which will be held simultaneously in Rome, Paris , Berlin, Brussels , Beirut, London and Geneva. During the time of prayer texts written by the kidnapped priest will be read and there will also be several first hand testimonies about him as a person and his mission.

At the request of friends and family of Paolo dall'Oglio , the meeting of prayer and solidarity for the Italian missionary and all the other people abducted in Syria will remember only his humanitarian work and apostolate . 

They have specifically asked that there be no references to political positions, to avoid any kind of problems for Mar Moussa community, founded by the Italian priest.
Also on 29 January in Geneva , the Association of Friends of Mar Moussa held a meeting in the chapel on the second floor of the center of San Bonifacio Avenue du Mail 14 .