Catholics and other Christian peoples united October 12 – 20 in a global movement of prayer and fasting for peace and to implore God’s mercy
Catholics and other Christian peoples from around the world joined co-founders and hosts, Ted and Maureen Flynn, along with the Legion of Mary, for this year’s 32nd International Week of Prayer and Fasting.
Live Event – Opening Day of Prayer
The event began with the Live Opening International Day of Prayer on Saturday, October 12, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the beautiful St. Mary of Sorrows Church in Fairfax, Virginia, the first time the Opening Day of Prayer has taken place outside of Washington, DC. This was followed by the Virtual Conference, held on Monday, October 14, Tuesday, October 15, and Wednesday, October 16.
The date of this year’s Opening Day Live Event, October 12, was the Feast Day of Blessed Carlo Acutis, whose relics, fittingly, were available for veneration during the afternoon portion of the conference in St. Mary of Sorrows Parish Center (St. Joseph’s Hall), along with those of Saint Padre Pio and Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos.
This year’s conference theme, “Conquering the Darkness: Triumph of Mercy, Hope, and Healing,” helped set the tone for the conference, uniting us with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and preparing us to pray and fast for this year’s presidential election.
The day featured inspirational talks by dynamic speakers; also available throughout the day were Confession, the Rosary, Eucharistic Adoration, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, live praise and worship music by Aria, and book signings by Bishop Robert J. Baker, (Rejoicing in our Hope, Meditations for the Advent and Christmas Season and Prayers of Desperation, a Questioner’s Prayer for Our Darkest Moments), Dr. Seggy Acosta (Success Despite Distress), Eric Welter (Power Tools for Prayer: Effective Intercession for Our Loves Ones and also Effective Intercession for Ourselves) and Jim Wahlberg (The Big Hustle: A Boston Street Kid’s Story of Addiction and Redemption).
The daylong event began at 9 a.m. with Mass celebrated by Bishop Emeritus Robert J. Baker, STD. Conference organizers, Ted and Maureen Flynn, and Dr. Seggy Acosta, said, “We were blessed to have Bishop Emeritus Robert J. Baker as our Main Celebrant and Homilist for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.”
In his homily, Bishop Baker spoke about a young inmate he worked with in prison ministry, reminding us that no one is beyond the power of redemption, and that no one is meant to be lost to the Lord. “The Lord wants us never to give up on anyone,” said Bishop Baker. “He wants us to help them through a life of prayer and to encourage them to live according to His will.”
That message is very apropos, especially since this year’s IWOPF arrived amidst the contentious 2024 presidential election.
Maureen Flynn said, “This year’s elections gave us tremendous urgency to draw all faithful people to an intensified week of prayer and fasting. Every year we bring this worldwide movement of prayer and fasting to Catholics and other Christian peoples to inspire prayer and fasting for world peace, conversion of hearts, and the building up of a culture of life.”
Following Mass was exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and recitation of the Holy Rosary, led by the Hispanic community, followed by powerful talks by two of the day’s speakers:
Eric Welter, an employment lawyer and trial attorney involved with intercessory and healing prayer ministry for twenty years, spoke about “The Contagious Power of Holiness.”
Father Dan Leary, a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, known for his healing ministry, and who previously served as chaplain to 350+ Sisters of Mary and spiritual father and chaplain to tens of thousands of poor Boystown and Girlstown students in their care, many of whom were previously trafficked, followed Welter. His topic, “The People in Darkness Have Seen a Great Light,” from Matthew 4:16, urged people to stay focused on the light rather than on the darkness in life.
Bishop Robert J. Baker, and Father Thomas P. Vander Woude, pastor of St. Mary of Sorrows Church, led the Eucharistic procession from the church to St. Joseph Hall, where the luncheon and afternoon talks were held. Conference attendees heard inspiring talks by speakers Dr. Seggy Acosta, a Catholic stress and pain specialist, about “Faith: Miraculous Power of Prayer,” and Dan and Stephanie Burke, co–hosts of the “Divine Intimacy” Radio show on EWTN Radio and servant leaders of the Avila Foundation, about “Healing and Hope Through Discernment of Spirits and Mental Prayer.”
Filmmaker and producer Jim Wahlberg closed out the day’s events with his poignant talk, “Nothing is Too Big for God,” detailing how his life was completely changed after meeting Mother Teresa while he was in jail.
About IWOPF
Once again, the International Coalition of Catholic organizations, including The Legion of Mary, The Marians of the Immaculate Conception, and many others, united to mobilize churches, communities, schools, prayer groups, and clergy to pray and fast:
• For the conversion of all people and nations
• To build a culture of life
• To defend the sanctity of marriage and family life
• For peace and to implore God’s mercy
• For all priests, vocations, and holiness of the members of the Church.
Calls and emails poured in from participants across the country and around the world, to express their solidarity with and enthusiasm for the event, and pledging to join in prayer and fasting for our country and the world.
“The global audience who joined us was inspired by incredibly anointed leaders who imparted a renewed spirit of prayer and encouraged fasting as a way to move mountains!” said Ted and Maureen Flynn. “Many feel powerless in the face of the numerous grave evils we are witnessing around the world, but God has put the power in our hands when we join together in prayer. He can do the impossible for His Glory. Our Blessed Mother has said that prayer and fasting stop wars and calamities and Saint John Paul II himself said, ‘Jesus has shown us by His own example that prayer and fasting are the first and most effective weapons against the forces of evil.’”
The Flynns asserted, “With that spirit, it was edifying to note that so many Christians stopped their busy schedules and joined in an international prayer movement that took place during this anointed week of Prayer and Fasting. May God bless our country in the coming days ahead.
“Together, we form an army of prayer warriors that can change the course of history, world events, and appeal to the merciful heart of God,” said the Flynns. “As Christians, we need to remember the prophets of old, and their victories, such as Esther, Jonah, and Gideon’s army to name a few. They are an example to us today to get down on our knees and pray and fast. We know through history that the Rosary is an efficacious weapon to defeat war, violence and the adversary. Remember Lepanto! For Christians, our true weapon is prayer!”
Virtual Event
Following the Live Conference, the IWOPF continued virtually through October 20, featuring nine inspiring pre-recorded talks by dynamic Catholic speakers, daily recitation of the Rosary, and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
Says Maureen Flynn, “We began recording the talks out of necessity during the COVID pandemic, and this has become a treasured and well-loved part of the International Week of Prayer and Fasting. It allows us to present more speakers and messages than we had been able to previously.”
The conference, accessible from anywhere in the world at www.IWOPF.org, had more than 1,000 people viewing the virtual speakers via livestream on October 14, 15, and 16. Even more have purchased the All-Access Pass, which allows unlimited access to view this year’s talks as well as last year’s talks at any time for a full year following the event.
Did You Miss This Year’s IWOPF?
Recordings are available for both the Live and Virtual Conferences!
For those who may have missed the conference, would like to gain extended access to view all the talks, or would like to share them with family, friends, and prayer groups, consider purchasing an All-Access Pass. The All-Access Pass provides on-demand replays, as well as downloadable audio files of all speaker’s talks.