The Sisters of the Precious Blood in Dayton, Ohio, stand in support of all the people in our nation who are affected by gun violence and all forms of violence and abuse. Having served as educators in numerous schools, we are especially heartbroken by the school shootings that have claimed so many lives in our country. We desire all schools to be free of fear and persecution and to be places of support and care for all who attend these institutions of learning. We stand with the students who are protesting gun violence.
Our spirituality calls us to be a reconciling presence in the world where there is hurt and woundedness. We do this through prayer and through advocacy. For over twenty years we have ministered to people in Dayton communities where murders have occurred through gun or other forms of violence, by leading and participating in interfaith homicide prayer vigils. We stand with the marginalized, with the broken, and we consistently work to promote nonviolence.
Through our regular legislative advocacy, we call upon Congress for sensible gun legislation. We now specifically ask our legislators to:
- Ban all high capacity weapons and magazines for non-military use
- Conduct universal background checks and have mandatory waiting periods prior to gun purchase
- Make gun trafficking a federal crime
While we know that these changes to our law will not prevent all shootings, we are obliged as a nation and as people of faith to promote the common good, to promote peace and to ensure that the law is fair and reasonable in protecting the most vulnerable people in our population.
As Precious Blood Sisters, we believe that each person is precious, as is our common home, and we are called to relationship with one another. We understand the reconciling power of reaching out to others in love. We encourage all people to show their care and concern for their neighbors, especially those who are on the fringes – whether they are in our schools, neighborhoods, workplaces or organizations. In doing this, together we build a more peaceful and loving society.