This week marks a powerful and sobering moment in history—one that changed the world forever.
As the 80th anniversary of the first nuclear bomb detonation approaches, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe is inviting churches across the United States to pause, pray, and reflect on the legacy of that explosive beginning.
A Call to Prayer at the Exact Moment of the Explosion
At exactly 5:29 a.m. on Wednesday, July 16, churches are being asked to ring their bells.
The timing is significant—it marks the very moment in 1945 when the “Trinity” test took place in the New Mexico desert.
Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe is encouraging churches to join in this symbolic gesture “as a call to prayer for peace and nuclear disarmament” and to recognize the moment the world entered the atomic age.
Faith Leaders to Gather at Ground Zero for Private Prayer
To honor the day, Archbishop Wester, along with Bishop Peter Baldacchino of Las Cruces and Bishop James Wall of Gallup, will gather at the original Trinity test site.
There, joined by a small group of faith leaders and laypeople, they will hold a private service for prayer and meditation.
The purpose, according to the Archdiocese, is to “pray for the end of the wars that plague our world and to protect us from the ongoing threat of nuclear devastation.”
The Human Cost Felt for Generations
The Trinity explosion took place in the Jornada del Muerto desert, part of the Alamogordo Bombing Range.
Though it was hailed as a scientific milestone at the time, the test had devastating consequences for local communities.
Residents living within a 160-mile radius—mostly Latino and Native American families—were not warned about the risks of radiation exposure.
In the years that followed, communities near the site reported an alarming increase in cancer rates, infant mortality, and other severe health problems linked to fallout from the test.
Prayers for Peace on a Sacred Feast Day
The anniversary also falls on the Catholic feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a day already deeply rooted in devotion and reflection for many Catholics.
The archdiocese is asking clergy to include special prayers during Mass that day, calling for peace and the elimination of nuclear weapons.
A Moment to Reflect and Recommit
While the test may have taken place eight decades ago, Archbishop Wester believes its legacy still calls us to action today.
This anniversary, he says, is a reminder of both the destructive power humanity holds—and our moral responsibility to use it wisely, if at all.
The Archdiocese hopes that by coming together in prayer, both in New Mexico and across the country, people will not only honor those who suffered in silence but also recommit to building a future without the threat of nuclear war.