February 12, 2026 at 10:19 a.m.
The Diocese of Albany will offer a Holy Hour for Peace at Blessed Sacrament Church (607 Central Ave.) in Albany on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m. Bishop Mark O’Connell will preside and all are invited to attend.
This news comes after Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, invited bishops and priests across the country to offer a Holy Hour for Peace as “a moment of renewal for our hearts and for our nation.”
In the Jan. 28 statement, Archbishop Coakley said that “the current climate of fear and polarization, which thrives when human dignity is disregarded, does not meet the standard set by Christ in the Gospel.”
Archbishop Coakley added that “many people today feel powerless in the face of violence, injustice and social unrest. To those who feel this way, I wish to say clearly: your faithfulness matters. Your prayers matter. Your acts of love and works of justice matter.”
You can also find more information — including what other diocesan parishes are hosting Holy Hours — on this diocesan webpage: https://www.rcda.org/holy-hour-peace.
- 6 ways Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco expressed her Catholic faith
- National Eucharistic Pilgrimage seeks to be a sacred journey for US at 250 years
- Pope Leo XIV calls for dialogue, not weapons, as Iran war enters 4th week
- Pope Leo XIV names Australian archbishop prefect of Dicastery for Legislative Texts
- Cardinal Dolan, Bishop Barron push back on claims of anti-Catholic bias from former commissioner
- Russian drone strikes damage historic church, monastery in Lviv ahead of Holy Week
- New US global health policy seen as a way to eliminate malaria in concert with faith leaders
- Supreme Court weighs whether policy of turning away asylum-seekers at border can be reinstated
- Residents turn to resistance in faith as settler violence terrorizes West Bank Christian village
- Gosnell death brings closure, renewed pro-life commitment, says investigating detective

Comments:
You must login to comment.