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Provincial Council statement in response to Las Vegas shooting

Once again, we find ourselves grieving; bewildered by the trauma of yet another mass murder, another record mass shooting in the United States. It was only one year ago last June that 49 people were killed in an Orlando night club, preceded by 14 deaths in San Bernardino in December 2015, nine people gunned down during a prayer service in Charleston in June 2015, and 27 killed in a school in Newtown in December 2012. Sadly, these are just a few of the examples.

We pray for all those in Las Vegas affected by this senseless violence. We join with others in words and prayers of praise and gratitude for the brave people who demonstrated the best humanity has to offer during this crisis by helping the injured, protecting the vulnerable - reflecting the presence of Christ at a time of true chaos, hardship and heartache.

As important as thoughts and prayers are, we must do more. While each of these mass killings happened for different reasons, there are lessons to be learned and steps we can take to make them less likely to happen in the future. We recognize that our country has constitutional gun protections, but we do not believe those protections extend to automatic and semi-automatic guns that bring about mass killings. We urge Congress, key stakeholders, and the American public to work together on common sense laws, education programs, and enforcement practices that will make our communities safer. No more excuses; every life is too precious!

We need to explore the underlying issues and root causes associated with these acts of hatred and violence, and address the questions they raise. In addition, we must do all we can in our own lives to respect the dignity of others, of all God's creation, to live in harmony and right relationship with each other. Everyone can be an artisan of peace and nonviolence.

As School Sisters of Notre Dame, we believe in the power of prayer, dialogue and education. We strive to banish all violence from our hearts, words and deeds, to be peaceful people, helping to build loving, compassionate communities. We affirm our commitment to work actively, in our local communities to eliminate the root causes of injustice in order to realize a world of peace, justice and love.

The Provincial Council
Sisters Mary Anne Owens, Kathleen Bauer, Christine Garcia, Susan Jordan, Marjorie Klein, Anna Marie Reha and Laura Jean Spaeth

 
 

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St. Louis, MO 63125

Phone: 314-561-4100

info@ssndcp.org

 

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