On Saturday, August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, around 300 people gathered at the Missouri State Capitol Rotunda to participate in a public prayer service to show solidarity and support for immigrants and refugees.
The event, led by Bishop Ralph O’Donnell of Jefferson City and Fr. Scott Jones, representing Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski of St. Louis, began with a multilingual rosary at the Protocathedral of St. Peter. The people then processed in silence to the Capitol, behind the diocese’s Jubilee Cross, containing a relic of the True Cross.
At the Capitol Rotunda, Bishop O’Donnell read the parable of the sheep and the goats, reflecting on the duty of every Christian to treat others in recognition of their God-given dignity. Hymns were sung, petitions were raised, and several people shared their personal stories, making for a beautiful morning of solidarity and Christian love.
The Diocese of Jefferson City, Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri, and El Puente Hispanic Ministry cosponsored the peaceful, nonpartisan prayer service.
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