Keep our Dominican family in Iraq in your prayers. The following is from Sr. Henry Susso:

“You may have heard that there will be a delegation of 3 Dominican sisters (of Adrian, Blauvelt and Springfield) and 2 Dominican friars to travel to Iraq to visit with the Dominican Sisters there who have been exiled (with hundreds of other Christians) to an area of Kurdistan.  This Dominican delegation has requested the special prayers of United States Dominicans from January 5-15, the time of their visit.

http://www.op.org/en/content/we-have-family-iraq-delegation-organized

I am writing to let you know that the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia have designated Sunday, January 11, as a special day of prayer for this intention, and we invite you to join us.  This will be the day of our meeting so we can offer our Vespers and Rosary for this plea for peace in the region, the safety of the delegation and fortitude for the Iraqi sisters.  Pope St. Pius V, pray for us!!”

As a personal aside perhaps the following prayer by the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Iraq, His Beatitude Louis Rafael Sako that the U.S. bishops invited us to pray last August would be appropriate:

Lord,
The plight of our country
is deep and the suffering of Christians
is severe and frightening.
Therefore, we ask you Lord
to spare our lives, and to grant us patience,
and courage to continue our witness of Christian values
with trust and hope.
Lord, peace is the foundation of life;
Grant us the peace and stability that will enable us
to live with each other without fear and anxiety,
and with dignity and joy.

Glory be to you forever.