Across the U.S., Catholics seek out prayer before — and after — voting at the polls

On Election Day, Catholic faithful across the nation are turning to prayer before — and after — heading to the polls Nov. 5, with many parishes and dioceses offering Holy Hours.

St. Joseph’s on Capitol Hill in Washington is hosting an entire day of eucharistic adoration and prayer for the U.S.

“Our first loyalty is to God. Everything is to God,” St. Joseph’s pastor Father William H. Gurnee III told OSV News. “We are Catholic. We don’t go to the grocery store without Jesus Christ. Why would we ever think about going to a voting booth without him?”

Father Gurnee said the initiative to have a day of adoration amid the Nov. 5 election “actually came from the laity,” which “delighted” him.

“One of the parish staffers said, ‘Hey, Father, could we have adoration on Election Day?'” he said. “Those are the kind of things that make a priest’s heart sing.”

In the swing state of Arizona, the Diocese of Phoenix participated in a Nov. 4 joint prayer vigil held by seven Christian denominations at Sun City Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Sun City.

The vigil was dedicated to prayer for “election peace” and loving one’s neighbor, according to a media brief sent to OSV News by Diocese of Phoenix communications director Brett Meister.

In the Diocese of Pittsburgh — where Pennsylvania is another swing state — Bishop David A. Zubik asked all parishes to “offer the opportunity for exposition of the Blessed Sacrament during Election Day.”

“I sincerely hope that you can take advantage of this rich spiritual practice that day,” Bishop Zubik wrote in an Oct. 24 letter to the faithful.

In the document, Bishop Zubik stressed he wished to make “abundantly clear” that he was not directing Catholics regarding their choice of candidates, but rather to “address some serious matters that are to be considered in light of Catholic teaching and beliefs.”

Prayer is crucial to the task of living out faithful citizenship as Catholics, he said.

“Given the moral and weighty obligation that is ours, it is ever so wise for us to follow the advice of Pope Francis and pray before we cast our votes,” wrote Bishop Zubik.

On the eastern side of the state, Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia issued a video of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ “Prayer Before an Election,” while his Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul hosted a Nov. 3 Holy Hour for the U.S. election.

Those prayers have become more intense amid concerns over election-related political violence.

In June, Ukrainian Catholic Metropolitan Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of Philadelphia, chair of the USCCB’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, issued a letter entitled “A Christian Response to Rising Threats of Political and Ideological Violence,” urging “all Christians and people of good will” to “abstain from political violence of any kind.”

“America can do so much better. There is no good reason to resort to violence to resolve political issues,” wrote Archbishop Gudziak.

Father Gurnee told OSV News that some of his parishioners have “mentioned the fact that some fences are going up and that the police are taking the potential of violence seriously.

“That’s made some people here in the neighborhood on edge,” he said.

Father Gurnee added, “Unfortunately, we did see the terrible violence on Jan. 6,” referencing the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob that disrupted a joint session of Congress set to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which former Vice President Joe Biden prevailed over then-President Donald Trump.

“Last Jan. 5, I called Capitol Police, and … they did say to just be alert,” said Father Gurnee.

That awareness extends to spiritual matters, he said.

“Prayer matters,” said Father Gurnee. “In (St. Paul’s first) letter to Timothy … we’re told to pray for kings and people of authority (1 Tim 2:1-2). They deserve prayer very much, because their responsibility is so great.”

At St. Joseph’s, “we believe in the power of prayer every day,” Father Gurnee said.

Offering weekly Eucharistic adoration, which the parish began scheduling “a few years ago,” has “blessed the parish,” he said.

“It’s really made it a time for people stopping off after work to … get that quiet time for themselves, but also to feel like that they’re giving back to the people here in the government,” Father Gurnee said.

Those prayers will continue well past Election Day, he added.

“Daily prayer is not just one time, for one day,” said Father Gurnee. “We’re always praying for our government. We’re always praying for our leaders and we’re always praying for our people.”

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