Downriver Today

Local organizers of a public procession and prayer event in Canton this weekend don't know how many participants to expect.

The Eucharistic procession and prayer event, scheduled to begin at noon Saturday at St. John Neumann, was organized to combat the fear and anxiety over riots, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, political uncertainty and a sense that evil is on the rise. 

"This event, part of the nationwide movement Unite Our Nation, is prayerful, non-political and family-friendly," noted a flyer for the event that began circulating earlier this week. "Designed to help bring peace and prayer to Canton, Michigan, and healing to our nation, it is being planned by local organizers. Clergy will lead the procession and everyone is invited to pray the patriotic rosary for all 50 states."

Participants should leave their political affiliations at home, according to the flyer.  

"Please do not bring political signs," the announcement of the Canton event on the Unite Our Nation website said. "We also request that you do not wear clothing with political or campaign statements."

Those who honestly answer the call to Canton on Saturday will recognize a very real need, one event organizer, said Dan Pfeiffer of Knights of Columbus Council No. 16169 in Lansing, during a Downriver Today email interview.

"We have advertised in our family of parishes but we will have to wait to see how many hearts will be called by the spirit to participate," Pfeiffer said.

The Lansing Knights of Columbus council, along with America Needs Fatima, has joined with the growing Unite Our Nation movement, founded only weeks ago, to provide processional and prayer calls for the good of the nation.

"The desire to praise our Lord and honor our mother as we ask the blessed trinity to heal our nation and protect our coming election from evil influences was the common motivation of both groups and the Knights," Pfeiffer said.

The first Unite Our Nation event was Aug. 15 in the riot-ravaged streets of downtown Madison, Wisconsin. The grassroots organizers hoped a few hundred would show up. Instead, about 3,000 swelled the ranks for the procession and public prayer event in the downtown Madison streets between the graffiti-ridden, riot-damaged and boarded-up buildings. The crowd, including many with rosaries, prayed for the nation, invoking the names of all 50 states, and asked for blessings and healing for the nation.

"Your presence is a witness of Christian courage," Kevin O'Brien, one of the local organizers in Madison, told the crowd that day. "We need that right now more than ever. We need men and women to stand up for truth and goodness. Again, we have the fullness of the faith, we have the power, we don’t need to cower in fear. We can come together and we can unite to truly make a difference."

About 1,750 participated in the Unite Our Nation procession and prayer event in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this past Sunday.

Unite Our Nation events, founded by the Milwaukee-based apostolate Men of Christ, has spread across the nation. In addition to Canton, Unite Our Nation events are scheduled Saturday in Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois, North Carolina, Washington and California.

Other Unite Our Nation events currently are scheduled into mid-November and more are being added.

The event in Canton grew out of a previously planned event after Pfeiffer and his fellow Knight, Larry Redmond, attended an America Needs Fatima rosary crusade earlier this year.

"Knights have a special devotion to Mary," Pfeiffer said. "We asked our pastor, Father Paul Ballien, and our grand knight, Ed Hurst Jr., if our council would sponsor an America Needs Fatima rosary rally at St. John Neumann and received enthusiastic support."

As plans for the rally progressed, organizers, including grand knight Joe Camill, saw common cause with Unite Our Nation.

"We decided to include a Eucharistic procession and singing between decades of the rosary," Pfeiffer said. "When I saw a post about Unite Our Nation including Eucharistic processions, songs and rosaries in their events, I reached out to them for support and encouragement."

With that, the three organizations joined in support of this weekend's event in Canton.

"The Canton event will be similar to other Unite Our Nation events in form but unique with the co-sponsoring of the Knights of Columbus and America Needs Fatima," Pfeiffer said. "Everyone is welcome. There is plenty of parking at the church. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early so we can line up for the procession. We will be following social distancing guidelines and encourage use of masks."

Anyone who would like more information can contact Camill at 734-455-1079 or Pfeiffer 734-892-3894.