What can you do about gun violence? By The Rt. Rev. Daniel G.P. Gutiérrez

 

Since January, approximately 932 people have been the victims of gun violence in Philadelphia. Last night, in one moment of gunfire in the city, three people died with 11 more injured.  As the violence repeats itself, day after day, our advice bears repeating. Do something. Start with prayer and then go here for more action ideas. We lift up to our Lord and Savior the victims and their families.

What can you do about gun violence?

By The Rt. Rev. Daniel G.P. Gutiérrez

Tuesday, May 24th, 2022

• Message From The Bishop
• Gun Violence

Join a Diocesan Effort.

The diocese's Anti-Gun Violence (AGV) Commission needs your voice. AGV Commission leads many programs including A Year of Faithful Witness, a year-long program to raise awareness about gun violence.  To get involved contact Canon Toneh Smyth, tsmyth@diopa.org. You can watch a short video on efforts here. 

The Diocese has partnered with the American Red Cross to host "United As One" blood drive to raise awareness of gun violence and safety. More details here. 

 

Sign Up Your Church.

Join the letter-writing campaign from the Schuylkill Deanery of the Diocese of Pennsylvania to help stop gun violence. As part of our call as Christians to love others as Jesus commanded us to do, once a month all the churches of the Schuylkill Deanery will be signing and sending letters to our elected representatives. These letters will advocate for common sense gun control in Pennsylvania. Watch this video from a young member of the deanery to learn more.

 

Take Action with EPPN.

EPPN is the Episcopal Public Policy Network, a grassroots network of Episcopalians across the country dedicated to carrying out the Baptismal Covenant call to “strive for justice and peace” through the active ministry of public policy advocacy.

• Support Gun Reform to Strengthen and Expand Background Checks
• Sign up for EPPN Action Alerts on Public Policy issues including gun violence prevention

 

Engage with BUAGV.

BUAGV is Bishops United Against Gun Violence. Bishop Gutiérrez is a co-convener of BUAGV,  a group of more than 100 Episcopal bishops working to curtail the epidemic of gun violence in the United States.

• Liturgical Resources
• Other Resources

Message from Bishop Jose from the Diocese of Western North Carolina

 A good friend of mine is now the Bishop of the Diocese of Western North Carolina.  He offered this email this week, which includes not only prayers, but also recommended actions in response to gun violence.

Good resources here,

Pray, and ACT! 

In Christ's Peace,

Peter+

View as Webpage May 25, 2022 Dear friends, Yesterday, we received news of a shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. At present, there have been two teachers and nineteen young students confirmed dead. I am angry and I am grieving. Tonight, there are families in shock and parents staring at 19 empty beds. This shooting comes just ten days after another shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, a racially motivated attack that killed ten people. Those families haven't even begun burying their lost loved ones. This upcoming December, we will recognize ten years since the Sandy Hook Massacre. And yet, here we are again, having these same conversations and feeling this same inexplicable anger, grief, and loss over the murder of innocent people and children. Enough is enough! I am inviting all of our churches to join me tomorrow, the Feast of the Ascension, in a day of prayer and action. As the disciples of Jesus did so long ago, let us gather in prayer and ask for the power of the Holy Spirit to descend upon us and our land. As a sign of our faith in his promise and our commitment to take action, as well as our solidarity with the grieving, I ask our churches to toll their bells for 10 minutes before Noonday Prayers. However, thoughts and prayers are not sufficient this time. Yes, pray for the families, the loved ones of those whose lives were taken too soon. But as Christians, we are also called to live out our faith in the world in action, for "faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead." (James 2:17) It is time --in fact it is long past time -- that we begin to take action to protect our siblings in Christ, to take tangible steps to support responsible gun legislation and advocate for those who's voices have been taken away. This is not a partisan issue. It is a public health issue, no matter your political party, no matter your background or your language or your culture. As followers of Christ it is our duty to work tirelessly to ensure no more lives are stolen through gun violence. Below are some resources in order to take tangible action: The Episcopal Office of Government Relations Resources to Respond to Gun Violence from the Episcopal Church Episcopal Church Policies on Gun Safety and Gun Reform Action Alert on Supporting Gun Reform Contact Your Representatives Contact Senator Burr and Tillis Find Your Legislators Further Advocacy Faith and Citizenship: A Guide to Effective Advocacy for Episcopalians The Episcopal Public Policy Network It is time to take urgent action. While the issue before us won't be solved overnight and we may feel overwhelmed by the horror of it all, we are called to join those in our communities working to advocate, teach and build relationships to enact positive change. Gun violence is a public health crisis that will only be rectified with intentional, consistent steps. The time for that action is now. Faithfully, The Rt. Rev. José A. McLoughlin Bishop May we remember the names of those who lost their lives: Roberta A. Drury, Margus D. Morrison, Andre Mackneil, Aaron Salter, Geraldine Talley, Celestine Chaney, Heyward Patterson, Katherine Massey, Pearl Young, Ruth Whitfield Eva Mireles, Uziyah Garcia, Amerie Jo Garza, Xavier Javier Lopez, Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, Nevaeh Bravo, Eliahana Torres, Makenna Lee Elrod, Ellie Garcia, Irma Garcia, Jackie Cazares, and those whose names we do not yet know... The Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina 900B CentrePark Drive Asheville, NC 28805 www.diocesewnc.org  ‌  ‌  ‌

Prayers in times of violence

 

A prayer in times of violence

God of all humanity,

in times of violence

we see how inhuman we can be.

We pray for those who, today, are weighed down by grief.

We pray for those who, yesterday, were weighed down by grief.

And the day before,

and all the days before the day before.

We pray, too, for those who help us turn towards justice and peace.

Turn us all towards justice and peace

because we need it.

Amen.

"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:17-18

God of peace, we remember the children and our siblings killed today in Texas. Following those killed in Buffalo and so many other tragedies. Please let us stop, just stop, adding names to the prayer list. Lord, have mercy. When will our hearts of stone turn into hearts of flesh?

Prayers in a time of violence

 

Dear Beloved Parishioners,

In this time of violence and suffering, may we offer up our prayers and also work to end these horrific tragedies.  A prayer from our diocesan commission to end gun violence, and a prayer from our Bishop, Daniel Gutierrez.  

Peter+

A prayer in times of violence

God of all humanity,

in times of violence

we see how inhuman we can be.

We pray for those who, today, are weighed down by grief.

We pray for those who, yesterday, were weighed down by grief.

And the day before,

and all the days before the day before.

We pray, too, for those who help us turn towards justice and peace.

Turn us all towards justice and peace

because we need it.

Amen.

"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:17-18

God of peace, we remember the children and our siblings killed today in Texas. Following those killed in Buffalo and so many other tragedies. Please let us stop, just stop, adding names to the prayer list. Lord, have mercy. When will our hearts of stone turn into hearts of flesh?

The Rev. Peter Carey

Rector, St. Mary's Episcopal Church - Cathedral Road

Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania

Pastoral statement on mass shooting in Buffalo from Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

Pastoral statement on mass shooting in Buffalo from Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

May 16, 2022

Office of Public Affairs

My heart is heavy with the news that a white supremacist gunman took the lives of 10 children of God in

Buffalo on Saturday. I grew up walking distance from the scene of this hateful crime, and my friends and

I used to ride our bikes around the neighborhood.  Buffalo’s Black community raised and formed me.

I grieve with the city and people I love.

The loss of any human life is tragic, but there was deep racial hatred driving this shooting,

and we have got to turn from the deadly path our nation has walked for much too long.

Bigotry-based violence—any bigotry at all—against our siblings who are people of color,

Jewish, Sikh, Asian, trans, or any other group, is fundamentally wrong. As baptized followers of

Jesus of Nazareth, we are called to uphold and protect the dignity of every human child of God,

and to actively uproot the white supremacy and racism deep in the heart of our shared life.

Please join me in prayer for the shattered families in Buffalo. Please also join me in expressing

profound gratitude for the intervention by Buffalo police that likely saved many other lives.

Even amid tragedy, even when manifestations of evil threaten to overwhelm, let us hold fast to the good. 

It is the only way that leads to life.