On August 6, 2025, women religious across the country will join in a virtual prayer service to commemorate the tragic events of August 6 and 9, 1945, when the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. The event is being organized by the Franciscan Peace Center, a ministry of the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa, and Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration on the anniversary of these bombings that resulted in the deaths of over 200,000 people and marked a somber chapter in human history.
Despite the devastating humanitarian impact of these bombings, the threat of nuclear weapons remains ever-present. Today, the world's nuclear-armed states possess a combined total of approximately 12,100 nuclear warheads, posing a significant risk to global safety and peace.
This solemn prayer service will serve as both a remembrance and a call to action. It also highlights 80 years of advocacy by Catholic women religious against nuclear weapons production and use. Open to the public, this solemn event will unite people of faith in a period of prayerful reflection and commitment to peace as we strive to create a world free from the threat of nuclear weapons. As we remember the suffering of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we pray that world leaders will commit to ending the manufacturing of these weapons of mass destruction and to alleviating the damage already caused by the arms race.
Joining the Franciscan Peace Center and Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, the event is co-sponsored by numerous women religious communities that share a dedication to peacebuilding, including:
- Dominican Sisters of Sparkill
- Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary JPIC Office
- Presentation Sisters Union - USA Unit
- School Sisters of Notre Dame, Central Pacific Province
- Sisters of Benet Hill Monastery
- Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati
- Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
- Sisters of Charity of New York
- Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team
- Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur – Ohio Province
- Sisters of St. Dominic/Racine Dominicans
- Sisters of St. Joseph of Philadelphia
- Wheaton Franciscan JPIC Office
This prayer service also responds to a call from the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) for “100 Days of Prayer, Fasting, and Advocacy” - a collective spiritual witness running from May 29 (Feast of the Ascension) through September 5. Participating congregations are each dedicating a day to pray and act for peace and justice; this August 6 gathering represents one such communal offering.
The virtual prayer service will take place via Zoom on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, at 6:00 pm CDT. The event will be recorded. Please join us by registering in advance here: http://bit.ly/4l3a60s