A Call to Peace: Pope Leo XIV’s Invitation to Prayer and Fasting on August 22, 2025

A Call to Peace: Pope Leo XIV’s Invitation to Prayer and Fasting on August 22, 2025

As the world grapples with the shadows of ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, the Holy Land, and beyond, Pope Leo XIV has issued a heartfelt call to action. On August 20, 2025, the American-born pontiff, through his official X account (@Pontifex), invited the faithful to unite in a day of fasting and prayer on August 22, 2025. In his post (https://x.com/Pontifex/status/1958152037214093527), he wrote:  

"I invite all the faithful to take part in a day of fasting and prayer on August 22, imploring the Lord to grant us peace and justice, and to wipe away the tears of those who suffer because of ongoing armed conflicts. May Mary, Queen of Peace, intercede so that peoples may find the path of peace."

This call comes at a critical time, aligning with the Feast of the Queenship of Mary, a day when Catholics honor the Blessed Virgin as the Queen of Heaven and Earth. Pope Leo’s message is a powerful reminder of the role spiritual practices can play in fostering peace, urging not just Catholics but people of all faiths to join in this collective plea for mercy and reconciliation.

 The Urgency of Peace

The pontiff’s words resonate deeply as wars continue to scar our world. From the ravaged landscapes of Ukraine to the ancient battlegrounds of the Holy Land, the cries of the suffering echo globally. Pope Leo, the first U.S. pope, has consistently advocated for peace since his election in May 2025, making this day of fasting and prayer a continuation of his mission. By invoking Mary, Queen of Peace, he taps into a rich tradition of Marian devotion, encouraging believers to seek her intercession alongside their direct prayers to God.

 How to Participate

Participating in this day of fasting and prayer doesn’t require grand gestures—it’s about intentional, heartfelt action. Here are some practical ways to join Pope Leo’s initiative:

1. Fasting with Intention: Fasting can be tailored to your health and circumstances. For some, this might mean abstaining from food for a set period (e.g., from midnight to 6 PM, as is common in Catholic tradition). Others might choose to fast from a particular meal or give up a favorite indulgence (like coffee or social media) as an act of sacrifice. The key is to offer this sacrifice as a prayer for peace, uniting with those who suffer from hunger and violence.

2. Personal Prayer: Set aside time to pray quietly, asking God to bring peace to conflict zones. You might use traditional prayers like the Our Father or create your own, focusing on specific regions like Ukraine or the Holy Land. Reflect on Pope Leo’s words about wiping away tears, imagining the faces of those affected by war.

3. Praying the Rosary for Peace: One powerful way to respond to this call is by praying the Rosary, a devotion deeply tied to peace through Marian apparitions. Notably, the Blessed Virgin Mary, appearing as Our Lady of the Universe in the Bronx in 1945 to Joseph Vitolo Jr., emphasized the Rosary’s role in bringing peace. According to the website www.ourladyoftheuniverse.com, Mary urged the faithful to pray the Rosary daily to end war and foster global harmony. On August 22, consider meditating on the Sorrowful Mysteries, which reflect Christ’s suffering, and offer each decade for those in conflict zones. A well-prayed Rosary, as noted by Fr. Donald Calloway, takes about 20 minutes and can be a profound act of spiritual mercy.

4. Community Action: Gather with family, friends, or a local church group to pray and fast together. Share Pope Leo’s message and encourage others to participate, creating a ripple effect of peace. You could host a virtual prayer session via Zoom or attend a Mass where this intention is lifted up.

5. Acts of Charity: Complement your fasting and prayer with tangible acts of mercy. Donate to organizations aiding war refugees, write letters of support to affected communities, or volunteer locally to embody the “disarmed and disarming peace” Pope Leo has championed.

 The Role of Mary, Queen of Peace

Pope Leo’s invocation of Mary as the Queen of Peace draws on centuries of Catholic tradition, where she is seen as a motherly intercessor. The apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima in 1917 similarly called for the Rosary’s daily recitation to end World War I and secure world peace, a message echoed by Our Lady of the Universe in 1945. By praying the Rosary on August 22, we align with this legacy, trusting that Mary’s maternal care can guide humanity toward reconciliation.

 A Global Movement

This day of fasting and prayer is not just for Catholics—it’s an open invitation to all who yearn for peace. As Pope Leo emphasized during his general audience on August 20, 2025, the goal is a “disarmed and disarming peace” that rejects the allure of weapons and fosters unity. Whether through silent prayer, a shared Rosary, or a simple act of kindness, each effort contributes to this global movement.

As we approach August 22, let us heed Pope Leo XIV’s call with open hearts. In the spirit of Our Lady of the Universe, let the Rosary be our weapon of peace, lifting our voices to heaven for a world healed by justice and love. Will you join this sacred endeavor? The time is now.

 

I invite all the faithful to take part in a day of fasting and prayer on August 22, imploring the Lord to grant us peace and justice, and to wipe away the tears of those who suffer because of ongoing armed conflicts. May Mary, Queen of Peace, intercede so that peoples may find…

— Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex) August 20, 2025

Our Lady of the Universe: Mary Appears in the Bronx - Grand Concourse

Many of you know that I am from the Bronx. I was born in Manhattan, but most of my life was spent in the Bronx. The Bronx is home to many things the world loves. Hip Hop culture with its rap music, break dancing, graffiti art originated in the Bronx. Many famous actors were born and raised in the Bronx, even astrophysicist Neil Degrasse Tyson grew up in the county. Poet and author Edgar Allan Poe lived there and even in the park that bears his name and where his house is still present is the birthplace of Batman. I can go on and on, but you get the point. The Bronx is awesome!  It has a bad reputation due to the portrayal of the borough on television and movies. However, there are many good things about the place.

What I may about to announce may come as a shock to some readers or maybe all. Did you know that the Bronx is also known for a Marian apparition?  Yes, the Blessed Virgin Mary is said to have appeared in the Bronx.  While the apparitions are not approved by the Catholic Church, they were not condemned either. As a former atheist, the suggestion that the Virgin Mary even appeared in my hometown intrigued me. While I am a skeptic and do not believe things at face value, this does not mean that I automatically reject claims. I vet things and test them to see the truth and accuracy behind them. I do not believe that being an incredulous skeptic is good. It is self-defeating. I used to walk by the stop of the apparition when studying at CUNY and going to nearby Lehman College to use the library.

The Bronx is home to a huge avenue or boulevard called the Grand Concourse. This huge road was envisioned by Alsatian immigrant Louis Aloys Risse.  The project was begun in 1894 and finished in 1909.  Afterwards, many art deco buildings were built alongside the Concourse which stretches from the South Bronx to the north Bronx. These buildings contain art and housed Jewish, German, Irish and Italians unto the 60's when they began to move to the suburbs.  Puerto Ricans and African Americans replaced them afterward until the late 90's when Dominicans and others began to move in.  Today, many of these buildings have remnants of those who lived in them such as Jewish Mezuzahs on the doors of apartments. There is even old synagogues still present on the Concourse which houses Protestant sects such as the Baptists, Adventists, and Pentecostals.  However, further north on 3191 Grand Concourse is a small pot of land with a boulder left over from the last ice age. It was here where Our Lady is said to have appeared.


Story:

According to my research, on the Monday 29th of October in 1945, a young boy of 9 years of age claimed to have seen a woman on a vacant lot just behind his home on Villa Avenue (Blue house on 3194 Villa Ave). The apparitions were daily, according to the boy named Joseph Vitolo.  Vitolo was an Italian born to Italian immigrants. He claimed that this woman was about 5 feet tall and was dressed in a similar manner as Our Lady of Lourdes of Fatima (Fatima Apparitions did not occur then, I mention it for reference only). He described her as wearing all white, standing on a crescent moon holding blue Rosary beads with a Magen David (Star of David) on her chest and wearing a 12-star crown. On other occasions, she wore all blue (light blue) and pink and black. The lady came to be known as Our Lady of the Universe or Our Lady of the Concourse.

As news spread, many thousands flocked to the spot in hopes of witnessing or experiencing something supernatural. In fact, as many as 30,000 packed the Grand Concourse praying the Rosary and hoping for a sign or miracle. Some claimed to have experienced healing or other miracles. However, I have not found any medical documentation proving the claims. Nevertheless, this does not mean they did not happen. The media even covered the apparitions. Among them were Time and Life magazines.  Other periodicals cover the story including Catholics ones, the Bronx Home News, New York Journal, New York Post, New York Herald Tribune and New York Times. Interestingly enough, the Archdiocese of New York did not bother investigating the claims of Our Lady appearing in the Bronx on the Grand Concourse.  Neither did they condemn it or barred Catholics from participating. To my knowledge, no warning was given to clergy about it as well.  However, priests from the nearby parish of St. Philip Neri did not provide services for the shrine that was eventually built on the site. Whether or not priests did visit is not known. Maybe they did and did not wear clericals or maybe they just ignored it as a fad. I have not found evidence either way.

The apparitions did not contain any secrets or major supernatural messages other than a request to pray the Rosary for peace.  There was no promise of a warning, sign, miracle or anything supernatural. The request was simple and prayerful. On one occasion, Our Lady asked Vitolo if he knew who Bernadette was. He replied that he did not. She told him to do as she did.  On another occasion, Vitolo claimed that Our Lady had beads that broke. She bent to pick them up and told him that one is missing.  No one seems to understand the meaning of this incident or if it were Rosary beads that broke either on purpose or by accident.  The incident remains a mystery.  Our lady even told Vitolo that if he studies hard, goes to church, prays that he will be cleansed of his sins and can become a priest.  She also said that the people should build a church on the spot of her appearance.  It is interesting to note that Vitolo did enter a seminary but did not find the experience great. Moreover, no church was built on a spot. Instead, a makeshift altar was built and statues added to create a private shrine of sorts.

Vitolo stated that he would pray the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be and then Our Lady would make her appearance before him at around 7:00 PM.  She would appear to him for about 5 to 10 minutes; however, observers around him claimed that he was there for almost an hour in ecstasy and without motion in a stance of prayer. During the apparition, those present claimed that all the votive candles on the spot turned off except for the one in the center. There was one moment on Halloween October 31, 1945, where some in the crowd voiced their disbelief at the child and then the votive candles would turn off without interference from anyone or anything visible. This would silence the skeptics in the crowd. On the last night of the apparitions, some claimed to have witnessed the "sky opening" and what looked like an angel descending. Others did not see the alleged angel, only the sky opening while some claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary ascending into the opening.

After 1947, interest in the shrine and apparitions began to decline. Today, the remnants of the shrine remain. I am not sure if it still accepts visitors. They do not solicit donations or anything of any kind. Vitolo himself did not earn a dime on the apparitions and struggled to find a good paying job as he got older. I am still researching this apparition and will update this post as I learn more. To date, I have not found anything contrary to Catholic doctrine in these alleged apparitions. Again, the Church has not condemned them. On a personal note, I find this apparition cool and love the titles of Our Lady of the Universe and Our lady of the Concourse.  It brings to mind my love of astrophysics and astronomy.  Moreover, the Star of David on her chest captures my attention especially after finding out via AncestryDNA that I have Jewish blood in me via my maternal side. I am still trying to find out why Our Lady alleged appeared with the Star of David.  Could it be because she was a descendant of David and her Son is a King in the line of David?  Could it be because the Grand Concourse had a large Jewish population and Our Lady was acknowledging this?  I do not know. Hopefully, I will find more information and will update this page and restart the www.OurLadyoftheUniverse.com website after seeing that it has been inactive.   If Our Lady really did appear in the Bronx, I must spread the word!

Furthermore, it seems Satan tried to stop me from making this post. As I wrote this, half the post was deleted. I clicked "undo" and could not retrieve the original text I wrote in a draft. Afterwards, an outlet extension nearby began to spew sparks, flames, and smoke out of nowhere. Nothing that uses heavy wattage was plugged into it. I am still trying to figure out why it did that.  In any event, Satan can go to hell, I will not stop promoting devotion to Mama Mary.

Here are videos of an interview done where an older Joe Vitolo answers questions. 

Jospeh Vitolo still remained in the Bronx.  I was hoping to contact him but learned that he passed on to the Lord in December 2014.  He is now with Our Lady again.  May he rest in peace.  

UPDATE: December 1, 2017.
I have control of www.ourladyoftheuniverse.com and am currently building it up.  If you were present during the alleged apparitions, have verifiable information on it or know someone who was there and has verifiable information, please contact me: Contact@sacerdotus.com




Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/22/nyregion/the-boy-who-saw-the-virgin.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bronx/faithful-65-years-italian-boy-joseph-vitolo-witnesses-miracle-night-article-1.199052

http://heresy-hunter.blogspot.com/2009/10/bvm1-bronx-miracle-revisited.html

https://fotosmilagrosasbrasil.blogspot.com/2015/07/miracle-bronx-apparitions-of-virgin.html

http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/calandra/bronx-miracle-joseph-vitolo-jr-our-lady-universe-and-roman-catholic-devotion

http://www.visionsofjesuschrist.com/weeping530.htm

https://www.mylife.com/joseph-vitolo/e909738647022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYavPJ2MVNI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKZuUaSXa9E

https://obittree.com/obituary/us/new-york/bronx/john-j-fox--sons-inc/joseph-vitolo/2005759/

https://www.hotfrog.com/business/ny/bronx/our-lady-of-the-universe

Triumph of Prayer for Peace

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

Prayer is something most of the world's population does on a regular basis.  Atheists often criticize it by claiming that it does not work and that it is a delusion to speak to oneself.  The recent course of events has proven them wrong.  On September 7, 2013 the Holy Father Pope Francis called the world to Pray and Fast for Peace.  Billions joined him worldwide as he led a prayer service at the Vatican that lasted over 5 hours!  People of all walks of life, even religions joined in the pray for peace campaign.

Prior to this, rumors of war were circulating about.  President Obama warned that he would authorize a strike with or without allies against Syria.  He even went on television to make his case to the American people.  Within just hours of making a final decision to attack based on the vote of Congress, something extraordinary happened.  President Putin brokered a deal with Syria, Kerry and the United Nations in order to avert war.  He even used a well known American newspaper to voice his plan.  This made President Obama look bad eventually causing some to question why he received the Nobel Peace Prize when Putin could have received it instead.

Anyhow, there is no more talk of a strike; only talks of peace and the surrendering of chemical weapons.  This is good news!  Our prayers worked!  Prayer triumphed over war and violence.

Let us keep praying for peace!  

"Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us." - Isaiah 26:12

Pray and Fast for Peace

Today, Pope Francis is leading the world with prayer and fasting in order to promote peace in it and in our hearts.  In a time where wars seem to be everywhere and our leaders want to continue them, we must pray for peace.

Peace begins in our hearts.  If we have no peace within us, we cannot present peace to the world. We often want to solve problems with violence.  War, abortion, euthanasia, genocide etc; each are presented as solutions in life.  They are not.  As Pope Francis put it; "war is futile."  Violence breeds violence.  

Let us pray for peace in our world and most importantly; in our hearts.

God our Father, we ask you to bring peace to our hearts and to our world.  Our fallen human nature always seeks to solve things with violence.  

We forget that we all come from you and that we are all brothers and sisters.  Remind us that we are one human family and you are our Father.  

Bring peace of mind to each one of us.  Enlighten presidents and other leaders to seek peaceful means to solve conflicts.  Give them peace in their hearts so that they can know how to put it into word and action in their respective nations.  

Only you can pierce man's heart and mind.  Only you know our inner conflicts and can remedy them.  

Give us a world where war and all acts of violence will only be remembered in history books and never witnessed in life.  Give us peace.  

We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen