The Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah is holding a special Mass at one of the city's largest churches to pray for peace in Syria.

The Rev. Gerard Schreck was scheduled to lead the Mass at noon Saturday at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, the towering church in downtown Savannah where the priest serves as rector.

Bishop Gregory J. Hartmeyer, the Savannah diocese's top priest, made an online video earlier in the week urging southern Georgia's more than 77,000 Catholics to fast and pray as President Barack Obama and Congress weigh military strikes against Syria for its alleged use of chemical weapons.

The Saturday Mass in Savannah comes on the same day Pope Francis planned a peace vigil at the Vatican — a first in the church's history.

Tags: Savannah, Syria, Catholic Diocese of Savannah