All Saints Church, Middlesbrough, is hosting a 24 prayer vigil for persecuted people in Iraq and Syria from 6pm on Friday 18th to 6pm on Saturday 19th September. People will be coming together from across the country to pray together for the victims of Isis in Iraq and Syria.
The Revd Richard Brown of The Ascension, Middlesbrough, is one of the organisers of the Prayer Vigil. He said, "A friend of mine has visited Iraq to give aid a number of times over the past year, and during these visits met an Iraqi priest, Father John. At first, she didn’t recognise him as a priest as he wore no clerical shirt or vestments. But he ministered faithfully under harrowing conditions to a group of displaced Christians in the mountains of Northern Iraq. Father John asked my friend to take back to the UK the only Christian symbol he possessed: a small cross, with the request that we pray diligently for the Christians of Iraq. To him, this small cross became a symbol of hope for those persecuted people who are isolated and ignored by the world.
"Father John was killed by an Islamic State attack on the camp in July this year.
“And so, to continue Father John’s call to prayer, I would like to invite you to the 24 hour Prayer Vigil on Friday 18th September. We will be praying not only for the persecuted Christians of Iraq and Syria, but all in those regions who are experiencing persecution and loss, some of whom are fleeing to our country for safety.”
The Bishop of Whitby, the Rt Revd Paul Ferguson said, “We’ve all been moved by devastating images of loss on television or in our newspapers. In our area we have a strong tradition of being concerned for refugees and people in trouble. Praying for people affected by violence and persecution is something we can do, as well as take practical action, as we try to reflect the love of God in these troubled times. We would like to invite people of all faiths and denominations in Middlesbrough and the surrounding areas to the Prayer Vigil, especially to the Prayers for Peace at 5pm on Saturday 19th September.”
The Prayer Vigil will open with a service of Holy Communion, led by the retired Bishop of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, the Rt Revd Peter Ramsden.
The schedule for the Prayer Vigil is as follows:
Friday 18th September
6pm: Evening Prayer
7pm:
Eucharist and Opening Service. Celebrant & Preacher: the Rt Revd
Peter Ramsden (Retired Bishop of Port Moresby – Papua New Guinea)
9pm:Rosary
10pm: Taize
11pm: Night Prayer
11.30pm
– 5.30am: Silent Prayer with hourly devotions. The Blessed Sacrament
will be exposed during this time in the side chapel.
Saturday 19th September
6am: BCP Morning Prayer & Office of Readings
9am: Rosary
10am: Low Mass (Lady Chapel)
12noon: Mid-day Prayer
1pm: Stations of the Cross
3pm: Divine Mercy
5pm: Ecumenical Prayers for Peace Service