Written by Barb Spies, OFS, Director of Mission Services and Pastoral Care

In the Peace Prayer that is often attributed to St. Francis, though it first appeared about 700 years after his death, we see the first line: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” In this petition, we ask to become the hands and feet of Jesus, working toward His peace. Our Franciscan Tradition is filled with moments of when leaders have asked God to help them become instruments of peace.

St. Francis: Fought in a war with a neighboring town of Perugia, was captured and imprisoned. He became an active campaigner for peace during the Crusades. He met with the Sultan in Egypt, encouraging an end to the battles. St. Clare: She faced mercenary soldiers who came to occupy Assisi with prayer and the Eucharist. The mercenaries left and Assisi was safe. Blessed Angela: The foundress of the Felician Sisters faced a difficult time in Polish history. When the country was occupied by Russia in the mid-1800s, religious congregations were persecuted, forbidden, and disbanded. She had to be granted Austrian citizenship to be able to move around in the Russian-occupied territories. She worked for peace by encouraging her sisters to treat soldiers on both sides with equal care, for all are our neighbors.

Felician Sisters Today: The sisters call for peace and the protection of civilians amid the escalating conflict involving Iran, urging compassion, justice, and global solidarity. Sr. Maryann Agnes Mueller, Justice and Peace Coordinator, said, “As a community dedicated to serving those most vulnerable, we are deeply concerned about the escalating violence and its devastating impact on civilians. Our prayers are with all who are suffering, and we call on all parties to pursue peace through dialogue, diplomacy and respect for human life.”

The sisters affirm the dignity of every human life. “Every person is created in the image of God and deserves safety, respect and the opportunity to flourish. War and military escalation inflict disproportionate suffering on civilians — including women, children, the elderly and the displaced — and worsen human misery rather than resolving underlying causes of conflict.

The Felician Sisters invite all people of goodwill to join them in prayer for peace, advocate for humanitarian responses that protect life and dignity, and support initiatives that foster understanding and a just world for all.”

Blessed Angela: “Never look for self in anything but always seek the glory of God and the good of your neighbor.”