London: Prayers for priest on anniversary of his disappearance

Fr Dominic Robinson SJ writes: Six years ago on July 29th 2013, Italian Jesuit Fr Paolo dall'Oglio SJ disappeared in Syria.

We remember him today Farm Street Church, Mayfair, and pray for his immediate release. Do pop in to pray for him and for peace and reconciliation in the Middle East at our Middle East Shrine.

The Church open as every weekday 7.15am - 7pm with Masses 8am, 1.05pm, 6pm. Confessions 15 minutes before all Masses and from 12.30-1pm during Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

In March this year, Father Paolo was reported to be among a group of hostages being held by ISIS in the south-east of the country. Fides mentioned a report by Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, which is considered close to Hezbollah, which said Dall'Oglio was with a group Western and Kurdish hostages. The Times reported the extremist Islamist group was using Dall'Oglio and two other Western hostages, British journalist John Cantlie and a nurse from New Zealand, as "bargaining chips" in negotiations with the US-backed Kurdish-Arab forces surrounding them.

On January 30 2019, relatives of Fr Paolo were received in private audience by Pope Francis. Many prayers vigils have been kept around the world for Fr Paulo. On February 13 last year, a torchlight procession in his name was organised in Rome by the Association of journalists, friends of Father Paolo.