Circle the Cities with Love

A group of women at Angela’s Piazza in Billings pray together during the “Circle the Cities with Love event on January 15, 2017. Photo courtesy of Larry Mayer, Billings Gazette Staff.

Sister Ann Schoch, School Sister of Notre Dame

By Sister Marya Grathwohl, OSF

In January a call went out from Shalom North America, the Peace & Justice Network of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, inviting members of their international congregation, as well as other Sisters’ congregations, to “Circle the Cities with Love,” a non-partisan, no-issue event.

The idea was to gather people in their areas to a half hour of silent prayer on January 15. This gathering was to embody and send the power of love that brings healing, peace and justice to cities, the United States and wherever people are struggling with violence and other forms of injustice.

Sister Ann Schoch, residing in Billings, is a member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame and is part of the ministry with Angela’s Piazza, a Women’s Drop-in Center co-directed by Sister Mary Dostal and Sister Pat Funderhide, both members of the Ursuline Order. Sister Ann does pastoral outreach to Native Americans at both Billings hospitals and follows them when they go to physical rehabilitation centers.

She invited the other nine women who belong to religious orders in Billings to join her circle. They in turn were asked to bring a friend.

Nineteen women gathered to pray in silence from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m. The goal for the half hour was to send healing energy to all of humanity, praying for human rights for people throughout the world, regardless of their ethnic background or religious affiliation.

After the silent prayer one laywoman shared that she found a great peace and sense of solidarity in this experience. She expressed a desire to hold a monthly “Circle the Cities with Love” prayer. The group agreed to the second Sunday of each month from 1:00 to 1:30 as the time for both women and men of all faith traditions to gather at Angela’s Piazza, 420 Grand Avenue in Billings.

In February several new women and one man came. The group hopes that the gathering will grow and require an even larger venue.

“Circle the Cities with Love is a gathering of people who believe in the power of love over the power of hate,” says Sister Ann. “There is a great need today to pray for our world in which there is so much turmoil. Every human being has to feel that they have a place in our world.”