(January 31, 2009) Youth from 400 cities throughout the world are joining in Masses,
Eucharistic adoration and prayer services to implore God to grant peace in the Holy
Land. The 24-hour event, organized by several Italian associations, will take place
Saturday, 31st of January principally in Italy, but youth from Europe,
the United States, South America, Africa and Australia will also participate. The
celebrations will be passed on from city to city during the event, with highlights
being a Mass scheduled at 1 p.m. local time at the Parish of the Holy Family in Gaza,
and 24 hours of prayer to be said at the altar of Calvary at the Basilica of the Holy
Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Vatican City will also participate in the day of prayer with
a Mass celebrated on Saturday morning by Cardinal Raffaele Farina, the prefect of
the Vatican Library, with the Salesian community of the Vatican printing office. The
International Day of Intercession for Peace is a response to the plea Pope Benedict
XVI made December 28 for "fervent prayer" for peace for the Holy Land. The initiative
is organized by Italian youth organizations Papa boys, Youth for Life and Chapels
of Perpetual Adoration in Italy.