Archbishop Listecki/WCC ask for prayers for an end to violence and the safe return of local pilgrims in the Holy Land.

“I’m asking all Catholics and people of goodwill to join me in praying for an end to the violence in Israel, for the souls of all those who have been killed, and for their families. We are also praying for the safe return of those who are in the area on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, including some from Archdiocese of Milwaukee parishes.”

- Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki, Archdiocese of Milwaukee

Wisconsin’s Catholic bishops today issued the following statement in response to the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel:

The Bishops of Wisconsin unequivocally condemn the Hamas terrorist attack on unarmed Israeli civilians and the taking of women, children, and elders as hostages. We deplore this and every form of antisemitism. We mourn for the innocent Israelis and Palestinians who will now lose their lives because of this brutality. We pray that the hostages and refugees from this conflict may find safety. May nations welcome them with compassion. And we stand in solidarity with the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and all the Ordinaries of the Holy Land in calling for a day of fasting, abstinence, and prayer on Tuesday, October 17, for all those who have been and will be harmed by the violence, and for a just and lasting peace. Read Cardinal Pizzaballa's statement here.