Prayers for Peace Along New York City Streets

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Catholic peace activist Al Forte was one of more than 50 people walking to advance the cause in the initial leg of a New York City to Boston Pray-for-Peace Walk,

That first leg June 30 went from Grand Central Station to Yankee Stadium, in time for a Yankee/Red Sox game. The eight-leg, 250-mile walk was originally set to end Aug. 4 at Boston’s Fenway Park, the site of another Red Sox/Yankees matchup.

Forte, 75, and the others decided to amend the walk. They completed a leg in Connecticut July 8, but have postponed the rest until autumn because of summer’s heat.

On June 30, participants stopped to pray at several churches, including St. Patrick’s Cathedral. They mostly walked up Fifth Avenue and over the Madison Avenue Bridge into the Bronx.

Father Louis Leonelli, C.F.R., was among the walkers. “It was wonderful. Everybody had a great experience. The world is crying out for peace, especially for peace in people’s hearts,” said Father Leonelli, director of St. Anthony Homeless Shelter for Renewal in the Bronx, in a phone interview.

Forte has received letters of support from several Catholic spiritual leaders, including Cardinal Dolan. The Brooklyn is a longtime resident of Stamford, Conn., where he is a parishioner at St. Bridget in Stamford.