At a Catholic Mass, the Universal Prayer can include people of every religion and people with no religious affiliation. The Church prays for the whole world as well as her own needs. These six complete sets of Prayers of the Faithful offer different ways to pray for religious freedom, peace, neighbors, and families.
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 69–71, gives the usual order: the Church, public authorities and the world, people in difficulty, and the local community. Vatican II encourages respectful dialogue and collaboration in Nostra Aetate and defends freedom from religious coercion in Dignitatis Humanae.
Choose one set for Mass, adapt its details to your community and the day’s readings, and have the celebrant review it. The priest introduces and concludes the prayer; a reader announces the intentions. The assembly may respond after each one, “Lord, hear our prayer.” These are Catholic Mass examples, not a script for a joint interfaith service.
Universal Prayer for All Religions: Six Catholic Mass Examples
Option 1: A general Sunday
- For the Church, that our witness to Christ may be truthful, humble, and generous toward every neighbor, let us pray to the Lord.
- For public leaders, that they may protect the freedom of every person to live according to conscience and worship without coercion, let us pray to the Lord.
- For peoples divided by religion, that patient dialogue may overcome fear, contempt, and violence, let us pray to the Lord.
- For those excluded or threatened because of their faith, that they may find safety, justice, and faithful companions, let us pray to the Lord.
- For neighbors of different beliefs in our community, that we may listen well and serve those in need together, let us pray to the Lord.
- For those who have died, especially N., and for all who mourn them, that God may receive the departed in mercy and console their families, let us pray to the Lord.
Option 2: Religious freedom
- For the Church, that she may defend the dignity of every person while proclaiming the Gospel with love, let us pray to the Lord.
- For lawmakers and judges, that they may uphold religious freedom and protect minorities from intimidation, let us pray to the Lord.
- For communities where houses of worship have been attacked, that peace and the rule of law may be restored, let us pray to the Lord.
- For families forced to leave home because of persecution, that they may find welcome, shelter, and a safe future, let us pray to the Lord.
- For our parish, that we may speak against religious hatred and stand beside threatened neighbors, let us pray to the Lord.
- For all who died because of violence or displacement, that God may grant them mercy and bring comfort to those who grieve, let us pray to the Lord.
Option 3: Neighbors and dialogue
- For the Church, that friendship with people of other religions may deepen our respect and strengthen our Christian witness, let us pray to the Lord.
- For civic leaders, that they may bring different communities together to solve local problems fairly, let us pray to the Lord.
- For those who have met hostility or mockery because of their beliefs, that they may be treated with dignity and kindness, let us pray to the Lord.
- For religious leaders, that they may reject prejudice and teach their communities to seek peace, let us pray to the Lord.
- For our neighborhood, that shared work for the hungry, the lonely, and the poor may build trust among us, let us pray to the Lord.
- For deceased friends and neighbors of every background, that God may show them mercy and sustain their loved ones, let us pray to the Lord.
Option 4: Families of different faiths
- For the Church, that parish communities may welcome families with patience and care, let us pray to the Lord.
- For public officials, that they may respect the freedom of families to practice their faith without harassment, let us pray to the Lord.
- For parents and children whose beliefs differ, that honest conversation may preserve affection and mutual respect, let us pray to the Lord.
- For those who feel isolated after a change in belief, that they may find trustworthy friends and a place of belonging, let us pray to the Lord.
- For families in our parish and neighborhood, that we may make room for one another at moments of joy, loss, and need, let us pray to the Lord.
- For departed members of our families, especially N., that God may welcome them and give hope to all who miss them, let us pray to the Lord.
Option 5: Peace after religious violence
- For the Church, that she may seek reconciliation, protect the vulnerable, and refuse every form of religious hatred, let us pray to the Lord.
- For leaders of nations in conflict, that they may stop attacks on civilians and defend freedom of conscience, let us pray to the Lord.
- For those wounded by violence, that they may receive care for body and spirit and the support needed to rebuild, let us pray to the Lord.
- For peacemakers across religious lines, that their patient work may open paths to justice and lasting trust, let us pray to the Lord.
- For our community, that we may respond to fear with hospitality and never spread rumors about our neighbors, let us pray to the Lord.
- For all killed in religious violence, that God may receive them in mercy and comfort their families, let us pray to the Lord.
Option 6: Young people and the common good
- For the Church, that she may help young people grow in faith while teaching them to respect the dignity of others, let us pray to the Lord.
- For teachers and public leaders, that they may protect students from bullying based on religion or conscience, let us pray to the Lord.
- For young people asking honest questions about faith, that they may find patient guides and the freedom to seek truth, let us pray to the Lord.
- For those left hungry, homeless, or alone, that people of every background may unite in practical care for them, let us pray to the Lord.
- For our parish, that service with our neighbors may make peace visible in this community, let us pray to the Lord.
- For those who have died, especially the young and those known to us, that God may grant them rest and console their loved ones, let us pray to the Lord.
Using these examples at Mass
The intentions are short enough to proclaim aloud. Replace “N.” with a name only when it is appropriate and approved locally; omit a petition that does not fit the celebration. For the Universal Prayer’s purpose and customary order, see GIRM 69–71.
Related: What is the Prayer of the Faithful? and How to write Prayers of the Faithful.