“To Move in Peace” is a contemporary prayer for peace that responds directly to the grief and paralysis many feel in the face of war, violence, and the suffering of children and civilians around the world. Naming conflicts in places such as Gaza, Ukraine, and violence within our own cities, this prayer invites believers to move beyond despair and embrace their vocation as peacemakers.

Rather than allowing tragedy to freeze the human heart, the prayer calls Christians to “respond, to move in peace,” trusting in God’s grace to renew a wounded world. With language rooted in hope and spiritual resolve, it asks the Holy Spirit to fill each breath and guide each step toward active peacemaking.

This prayer highlights key themes of Catholic social teaching:

• The dignity of every human life, especially children affected by war
• Solidarity with those who suffer from violence and displacement
• The Christian vocation to peacemaking
• Hope grounded in faith amid global crisis

Authored by Jane Deren, Ph.D., this prayer offers a contemplative yet action-oriented reflection suitable for parish prayer services, classroom gatherings, campus ministry, peace vigils, and personal devotion. It is especially meaningful in moments of international conflict or community violence when faith communities seek language to hold grief, name injustice, and recommit to hope.

Ideal for use during times of war, humanitarian crisis, or ongoing violence, “To Move in Peace” encourages believers not only to pray for peace—but to become instruments of peace in a suffering world.