The archbishop of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, issued a call to the more than 20,000 people gathered in the Olympic Stadium to unite together in “an intense network of prayer” to overcome the problems that are affecting the country.

During the huge gathering, the cardinal also prayed for the Dominican president Leonel Fernandez and his collaborators, for lawmakers and the country’s judges, that they might always be faithful to their vocation.

During the Eucharist which was attended by religious and lay people from the 189 parishes of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo, the cardinal unveiled a new pastoral plan, which proposes facilitating the work of evangelization by bringing the Church together in the pursuit of common goals.