Fwd: Message from Art Laffin--Report of Ash Wednesday Feb. 18, 2026 Prayer Service of Repentance, Conversion and Resistance at the U.S. Capitol

[Catholic Worker]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Art Laffin <artl...@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, Feb 20, 2026 at 11:10 AM
Subject: Message from Art Laffin--Report of Ash Wednesday Feb. 18, 2026 Prayer Service of Repentance, Conversion and Resistance at the U.S. Capitol
To: Catholic Worker <catholicw...@gmail.com>

 

Dear Friends,

On Ash Wednesday from Noon-1 PM outside the Cannon House Office Building, directly across from the U.S. Capitol and under the watchful eyes of numerous Capitol Police, over 60 peace and justice makers from the DMV held a Prayer Service of Repentance, Conversion and Resistance (see attached group photo in text courtesy of Judy Coode). We were also joined by a visiting high school student group from San Francisco (not present in group photo). Please also see Religious News Service article which includes mention of our witness:  https://religionnews.com/2026/02/19/cardinals-faith-groups-stand-with-immigrants-on-ash-wednesday/

Below is a copy of the Prayer Service and Prayers that were offered. The above attachments include my opening reflection, Sabeel Prayer, reading from St. Oscar Romero and adapted appeal to soldiers and ICE agents to refuse to obey immoral and unlawful orders, a Lament Litany regarding the ICE reign of terror prepared by the Franciscan Action Network, and a powerful excerpt from Kairos Palestine – The Palestinian Christian Initiative:  A Moment of Truth: Faith in a Time of Genocide, that was released last November.

A special thank you to all who attended this prayer service and who had reading roles. I also want to extend gratitude to Michele Dunne and Franciscan Action Network for composing the Lament Litany,  Susan Gunn who brought the sound system, John Wright-Rios for leading the songs, Toby Harkleroad who brought the cross, Fr. Juan who presided over the blessing and distribution of ashes, and Paul Magno who did exceptional police liaison work. Lastly, a word of deep appreciation to all the co-sponsoring organizations as well as all those who could not be physically present but expressed their support and prayerful solidarity.

Here is the closing prayer we offered during our prayer service that is taken from the Sabeel Wave of Prayer (https://sabeel.org/):

"Dear Lord, in this season of fasting and lament, we remember those who hunger, those displaced by war, and those who homes are turned to ash, especially in Gaza and the West Bank. As we journey through Lent, deepen our commitment to justice and repentance, that we may work to end despair and suffering and help build a better world rooted in your peace. Crucified Messiah...help us to meditate on the image of the cross, and in doing so, hold onto the hope of the resurrection in the midst of overwhelming affliction."

In the peace and hope of Jesus,

Art

_________________________________________________________________

Ash Wednesday Liturgy of Repentance, Conversion and Resistance 

February 18, 2026 – Noon-1:00 PM – Outside Cannon House Office Building

Opening Song: Prayer of Peace 

Peace before us, peace behind us, peace under our feet 

Peace within us, peace over us, let all around us be peace 

Welcome/Opening Reflection  (Art)

Sabeel Prayer and Prayer During Ramadan (Bob Cooke)

Scripture Reading: Joel: 2, 12-18 (Charlene Howard)

Song: Hold Us in Your Mercy (John Wright-Rios)

Reading From Archbishop Oscar Romero (Kathy Boylan)

Lament Litany: Michele Dunne and Members of Franciscan Action Network

Sung Response: God forgive the wrong we've done, God forgive us now 

Sung Response for Prayers: Let Me Be An Instrument of Peace 

Prayer of Repentance for Racism and to End Racial Violence (Judy Coode)

Prayer of Repentance for Hypocrisy (Mark Joyce)

Prayer from Gaza and Palestine (Scott Wright)

Prayer to Abolish War and Convert War Economy (Dan Moriarty)

Prayer to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (Sr. Carol Gilbert and Art Milholland)

Prayer to End GunViolence (Ken Cooper)

Prayer for Prisoners and Restorative Justice (Paul Magno)

Prayer to End Poverty and Economic Exploitation (Susan Gunn)

Prayer for Desecrated Earth (MJ Park)

Prayer, Blessing and Distribution of Ashes: Fr. Juan

Song: Ashes (by Tom Conry) --(John Wright-Rios)

Then rise again from ashes, let healing come to pain, though spring has turned to winter, and sunshine turned to rain. The rain we'll use for growing, and create the world anew, from an offering of ashes, an offering to you.

We rise again from ashes from the good we've failed to do. We rise again from ashes to create ourselves anew. If all our world is ashes, then must our lives be true, an offering of ashes, an offering to You. 

We offer You our failures, we offer You attempts; the gifts not fully given, the dreams not fully dreamt. Give our stumblings direction, give our visions wider view, an offering of ashes, an offering to You.

Lord’s Prayer (Fr. Juan)

Sabeel Prayer (Art) 

Closing Song: World Peace Prayer (John Wright-Rios)

Lead us from death to life, from falsehood to truth, From despair to hope, from fear to trust; 

Lead us from hate to love, from war to peace; Let peace fill our hearts, let peace fill our world, Let peace fill our universe. 

Let justice ever roll, let mercy fill the earth. Let us begin to grow into your people. We can be love, we can bring peace, We can still be your way of compassion. Refrain:

Still all the angry cries, still all the angry guns, Still now your people die, earth's sons and daughters. Let Justice roll, let mercy pour down, come and teach us Your way of compassion. Refrain:

Co-Sponsors: Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, Franciscan Action Network, Assisi Community, Pax Christi USA, Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore, Little Friends for Peace, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team, National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Network Lobby for Catholic Social Justice

PRAYERS                                                                                                                                                          (These prayers were prepared by Art Laffin)

A prayer of repentance for racism and for an end to racial violence 

We pray for all those – past and present – who have been and continue to be crucified to a cross of racial hatred. We repent for and denounce the sin of White supremacy. We remember and pray for all those indigenous peoples, Africans, and African Americans who were slaughtered, enslaved, lynched, and murdered because of their skin color. This racial hatred remains pervasive. A disproportionate number of African Americans and people of color are imprisoned and executed. The Trump regime has dismantled diversity programs which were intended to provide equity and inclusion in government agencies and businesses. Too many have suffered and died and continue to be oppressed because of structural and policy violence rooted in White Supremacy and Christian nationalism.  

We decry all forms of racial profiling, Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism. Systemic violence and racism, inherent in oppressive economic and political structures and policies, crush people who are poor and people of color, denying so many of their dignity and human rights. We call into our presence all victims of racism.

Loving God, you have instructed us that every person is created in your image and that all life is sacred. We repent for the sin of racism. Deepen our commitment to work for justice and equality for all people of color as we strive to make the Beloved Community a reality here and now. 

Sing: Let Me Be An Instrument of Peace 

A prayer of repentance for hypocrisy                                                                                                           Jesus commands us “to take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye.” We pray that the U.S. government takes the log out of its own eye and repents for the sins of violence it has committed against numerous nations, including the long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for sending weapons and military aid to Israel that have been used to wage a genocidal war in Gaza and conduct ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank. Most recently, we decry the US attack of and ongoing threats against Iran, US military intervention in Venezuela, and destabilizing actions against Cuba and other countries. The U.S. cannot legitimately call into account the wrongdoing of others until it first repents for its own wrongdoing.                          Sing: Let me be an instrument of peace, let me be an instrument of peace 

Prayer from Gaza and Palestine (see attachment)

A prayer to abolish war and convert the war economy

We pray for all people – past and present – who have been, and continue to be, crucified to the cross of militarism and warmaking. No matter the perpetrator, the sin and crime of war, military intervention, occupation, abduction, indiscriminate killing, the use of weapons of mass murder, displacement, ethnic cleansing, and genocide violates God’s command: “Thou shalt not kill” and must be condemned unreservedly. Those who are denied the status of persons, who are tortured, bombed, and crushed under the rubble, cry out for peace, accountability, and just reparations.  

We remember and pray for all victims of U.S. warmaking and intervention, and that the U.S. make reparations to its victims. As the U.S. is the #1 global arms dealer, we appeal for an end to all U.S. arms sales. We call for the closing of the estimated 800 U.S. military bases worldwide and AFRICOM. We pray for and are committed to working for the abolition of war, for the conversion of the U.S. war-based economy to one centered on serving the common good and redirecting the $1 trillion U.S. military budget to meet urgent human needs. We call for the Pentagon to be converted and transformed from a center of warmaking to a center that serves life! We pray in gratitude for all who have resisted and who have been imprisoned for decrying the sin of militarism and war. Let us heed the words of Pope Francis: “Abolish war now, before war erases humanity from history.” And let us heed the words of Dr. King, who declared on the night before he was martyred: “It is no longer the choice between violence and nonviolence in this world…it’s nonviolence or nonexistence.” We say loudly and clearly with Jesus: "Love one another," "Love your enemies," "Be merciful as God is merciful," "Put away the sword" and beat all the swords (weapons) into plowshares."                   

Sing: Let me be an instrument of peace, let me be an instrument of peace 

A Prayer for the abolition of nuclear weapons

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist has set the Doomsday Clock at 85 seconds before midnight, the closest to global catastrophe it has ever been. Major factors include growing nuclear weapons threats, the climate crisis, disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), worsening world tensions, conflicts in Ukraine and Middle East, and the rise of nationalistic autocracies. The failure of the Trump Administration to renew the New START treaty with Russia further exacerbates the nuclear peril. In a recent editorial, the NY Times stated: “The world is entering a dangerous new nuclear age. This month, the New START treaty between the United States and Russia expired. In its place, the Trump administration is substituting a policy of vague threats and dangerous brinkmanship that portends an unconstrained arms race not seen since the height of the Cold War.”

Pope Francis declared that the very possession of nuclear weapons is immoral. The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) deems nuclear weapons illegal under international law. The U.S. and other nuclear nations refuse to ratify this treaty. The U.S. government instead has proceeded with a nuclear modernization program that is estimated to cost more than $1.5 trillion over the next two decades. We call on the U.S., the only country to have ever used nuclear weapons, and which has threatened on numerous occasions to use nuclear weapons against adversaries, to repent for using and threatening to use these weapons of indiscriminate mass murder. We call on the U.S. and eight other nuclear nations to ratify the TPNW, which has already been ratified by 74 countries. We repent for the nuclear sin and pray in gratitude for the Hibakusha (A-Bomb survivors) and all who are working to rid the world of the nuclear peril.

Sing: Let me be an instrument of peace, let me be an instrument of peace 

A Prayer to end gun violence 

We pray for all victims of the gun violence epidemic which has spread across the United States. We call for the elimination of all guns and that they be converted into garden tools as exemplified by the group Raw Tools, which also creates jewelry and crosses out of melted weapons and bullets.

Sing: Let me be an instrument of peace, let me be an instrument of peace 

A Prayer for prisoners 

We pray for all prisoners everywhere. We pray and work for a dismantling of the mass incarceration complex, and an end to torture and the death penalty. We pray and are committed to working with all who are seeking to create a legal system based on restorative justice. In the words of Jesus, let us "proclaim liberty to all captives." 

Sing: Let me be an instrument of peace, let me be an instrument of peace. 

A Prayer to end poverty and economic exploitation 

We remember all people who have been, and continue to be, sacrificed at the altar of greed, oppression and economic exploitation. Never before have so few rich people been allowed to hoard so much. Income inequality is a grave injustice. According to the Poor People's Campaign, there are an estimated 140 million poor and low-income people in the U.S. According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, more than 11 million children in the U.S. live below the federal poverty line and nearly one in five children of color are poor.The Big Ugly Bill passed last July enacted huge cuts to social programs like Medicaid and SNAP, and implemented tax cuts which heavily favors corporations and the wealthy. It is estimated that over a half a million people are experiencing homelessness in the U.S. This past year, 78 people in D.C. died without the dignity of a home. We remember all those who died early deaths in the U.S. and worldwide from dire poverty, malnutrition, homelessness and inadequate health care. We pray and join with all who work for an end to structures and policies that dominate, exploit, and crucify people to a cross of dehumanizing poverty, debt, and neglect. 

Sing: Let me be an instrument of peace, let me be an instrument of peace 

A Prayer for the Desecrated Earth

In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis implores us to protect our environment and sacred earth, our common home. Creator God, we confess that the way we live today is desecrating the Earth, changing the climate, the seas and the balance of life, and dispossessing those who are poor and future generations. The Trump Administration's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and government inaction to support a Green New Deal further endangers the environment. We are especially mindful that oil corporations, instead of calling for a reduction of fossil fuels, continue to promote mass oil consumption while making huge profits. We are mindful, too, that the Pentagon is the single largest consumer of energy in the US, and in fact, the world's single largest institutional consumer of petroleum, making it a major contributor to destabilizing the climate. Creator God, help us and all other nations to stop destroying your creation. Empower and sustain all those who are nonviolently resisting threats to land, water, air, and sky throughout our world. Help us to divest in fossil fuels and invest in renewable energy. Empower us to safeguard the Earth and all of creation.

Sing: Let me be an instrument of peace, let me be an instrument of peace.