WILMINGTON, DE — The Catholic Diocese of Wilmington will hold a series of Holy Hours for Peace across Delaware and Maryland in the coming weeks, responding to a national call from U.S. Catholic bishops to pray for peace amid rising tension and uncertainty in communities across the country.
The effort follows an invitation from Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, urging dioceses nationwide to dedicate time to prayer for peace in the nation. In response, Bishop William E. Koenig and the priests of the Diocese of Wilmington gathered on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, during their Presbyteral Retreat to offer a Holy Hour for Peace and to schedule additional observances throughout the diocese’s deaneries.
The national call to prayer comes in the wake of the bishops’ Special Pastoral Message on Immigration issued in November 2025, which expressed concern for immigrants living in what the bishops described as a climate of fear and anxiety. That message urged respect for the fundamental dignity of all people and called for humane treatment and meaningful reform of immigration laws.
“In this moment of tension and uncertainty, we turn to Christ — the Prince of Peace — asking that our hearts and our nation be renewed,” Koenig said. He said the prayers are rooted in the Church’s belief in the inherent dignity of every person and the call to build a society that respects life at every stage and circumstance.
The Holy Hours for Peace are open to parishioners and all people of goodwill and are intended as moments of communal prayer for peace, unity, and human dignity throughout the nation.
The scheduled Holy Hours include:
- The City Deanery will host a Holy Hour on Friday, February 13, at 11:00 a.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Wilmington, Delaware, with Bishop Koenig presiding.
- The Ocean Deanery will hold its Holy Hour on Friday, February 13, at 9:30 a.m. at Saint John Neumann in Berlin, Maryland.
- The Iron Hill Deanery is scheduled for Monday, February 16, at 6:00 p.m. at Saint Margaret of Scotland in Glasgow, Delaware.
- The Brandywine Hundred Deanery will gather on Thursday, February 19, at 4:00 p.m. at Saint Helena in Wilmington, Delaware.
- The Silver Lake Deanery will host a Holy Hour on Friday, February 20, at 3:00 p.m. at Holy Cross in Dover, Delaware.
- The Central New Castle Deanery will meet on Monday, March 2, at 5:00 p.m. at Saint Mary of the Assumption in Hockessin, Delaware.
- The Eastern Shore Deanery will conclude the series on Tuesday, March 3, at 7:00 p.m. at Saints Peter and Paul in Easton, Maryland.
Diocese officials said the Holy Hours are meant to provide space for reflection and prayer during a period marked by national debate and social strain, inviting participants to seek peace through faith and shared worship.
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