May 9, 2023
This month’s prayer vigil occurs on Saturday, May 13th – the day before Mother’s Day. Chances are, if possible, you will connect with your mother in some way. For the mothers of the victims we remember this weekend, that connection is broken. There will be no phone calls, no visits, no gifts of appreciation. Let us hold their pain in our hearts, in our prayers. With them we remember: April 2 - STEVEN BLAKE, 60, weapon not identified; April 6 - I’SICE THOMAS, 18, being investigated as a hit and run; March 12 - JAYKWAN HARDY, 26, body found in house fire; ruled homicide on April 16; April 30 - JOZLYN VICKERS, 8, hit by car, under investigation; April 21 - EMILY RYAN, 20, hit and run; April 29 - NATHAN SYMTH, 41, gun violence. ALL VICTIMS OF MASS SHOOTINGS Sister Paula Gero will lead our prayers this month. • “Petitioning God, changes us. It changes others. Confronting an immense tragedy can make us feel small. It can make us feel helpless. How do you respond to a parent who lost a child? How do you know when to speak, or what to speak?“ • “For the faithful believer, prayer isn’t a substitute for action; it’s a prerequisite for action. It grounds us before we move to serve others. It grounds us before we speak in the public square.” • “God have mercy, we ask. Lord, have mercy we plead. But then we must act – to heal wounded heart, to bear one another’s burdens, and to address the terrible scourge of violence that scars our land.” (Excerpts from NY Times Op-Ed: "In The Face of Tragedy, Prayer is An Act of Faith" by David French.) Let us stand together publicly in prayer and solidarity, bearing one another’s burdens, choosing to act.