The morning of Monday, August 6th, 1945, while was still Sunday evening in New York City, the first atomic bomb was dropped by the US Air Force on the people of Hiroshima, Japan at 8:15 AM.
On Thursday morning, August 9th, 1945 at 11:15 AM the second, and far more powerful, atomic bomb was dropped by the US Air Force on the people of Nagasaki, Japan.
The nuclear bombing of the city of Hiroshima and the nuclear bombing of the city of Nagasaki remain the only two instances of deliberate use of nuclear weapons in war.
As part of its efforts for peace around the world, the Community of Sant’Egidio in New York City began the Vigil for Peace in 2022. The Vigil gathers all at the Chapel of the Sacred Hearts to pray for 75 continuous hours, marking the time elapsed between the two detonations.
The Vigil is marked by established intervals, during which all countries in the world are remembered, prayers from around the world are read aloud, and the Gospel is shared.
The Vigil is part of Sant’Egidio’s longstanding commitment to peace, including negotiations in Mozambique and the annual Prayer for Peace, and brings people from all continents into communion for this solemn memory.
Nuclear disarmament is possible and must be achieved. The nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which articulates humanity’s commitment to nuclear disarmament, became international law in 1970 and has been ratified by 190 governments. The Catholic Church has consistently supported of the abolition of nuclear weapons. In 1963, in the encyclical Pacem in Terris, John XXIII clearly stated: “Nuclear weapons must be banned.” In 2017 Pope Francis declared of nuclear weapons, “the threat of their use, as well as their very possession, is to be firmly condemned.”
Unfortunately, the production and use of both nuclear and conventional weapons has grown dramatically. All countries, notably the USA, are ‘modernizing’ their arsenals. The New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear weapons treaty between the U.S. and Russia, which took effect in 2011, is set to expire in February 2026.
We hope you will join us this coming August 5-8.
All are welcome to participate in person, by sending in a prayer, or by following the live stream.
vigilforpeace@santegidio.org