Prayers for Emanuel AME Church and the World

We, the leadership team of the School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Pacific Province, are profoundly affected and challenged by the many divisions in our world and church today. The latest mass murder of our brothers and sisters of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Charleston, S.C., impels us to join our voices to the lamentations of all our brothers and sisters across this nation: “How long, O God, how long?” (Psalm 94:3). How long will we continue to endure such tragic gun violence, such hate crimes, such intentional acts of violence against black people in our country?

Once again, we as a nation are faced with mass murder, irrational gun violence and the senseless taking of black lives. We believe it is time to address together the root causes of such hateful violence and to address the questions they raise.

Sharing in the grief and sorrow of so many, we offer our prayers for comfort, healing and reconciliation for the victims, their families, the Emanuel AME faith community, and the entire African Methodist Episcopal denomination in our country. We hold up to our merciful and compassionate God the gunman and his family; the people of Charleston; our wounded nation and world. This grievous wound is indicative of our collective culpability. We, the leadership team of the School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Pacific Province, join our voices and prayers with religious leaders around the country to denounce racism and gun violence, which continue to eat away at the very fabric of the many efforts to create peace and justice in this country.

This sad reality calls us, as a religious faith community committed to justice and peace for all, to embrace anew our commitment to address these types of divisions and crises within our society and world with audacity and hope, and to bring all to that oneness and unity for which Jesus Christ was sent. We are committed to tirelessly work to address the evil of racism, to work together to initiate decisive actions to eliminate the root causes of injustice and racism, and to act for justice and reconciliation wherever we are.

The Provincial Council of the School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Pacific Province
Mary Anne, Kathleen, Christine, Susan, Marjorie, Anna Marie & Laura Jean

Please join us in prayer!

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