Faith communities respond to shootings
Local faith communities expressed a shared sense of grief on Monday, in the wake of mass shootings this weekend in El Paso and Dayton.
Some specifically called for action on the part of public officials.
Bishop Daniel Thomas of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo issued a statement on Monday, lamenting the “senseless mass murders.” He also expressed his own alignment with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in advocacy for “responsible gun laws and for the President and Congress to set aside their political interests and differences to find ways to better protect innocent life.” The USCCB issued statements after each shooting this weekend.
“But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God,’” Bishop Thomas said in the statement, quoting Luke: 12:2021. “With this Sunday’s gospel still fresh in our minds, and in the face of the senseless mass murders and raw violence against human life in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, we pray that we all might commit ourselves to be rich in what matters to God!
“...May those who died find eternal peace, may the wounded be healed, and may the Lord bring comfort to all their families, communities and the whole nation. Be rich in what matters to God!”
The Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, a network of 40-some area churches, discussed the shootings at a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday. They issued a statement:
“The IMA joins our voices with the cry of our nation to call for an end to gun violence. We join in prayerful support for those who have died and those who have lost loved ones in the over 200 mass shootings in the USA during this past year. We call upon our elected officials to address this crisis and to enact gun violence prevention programs, to enact gun control laws and to initiate programs to reduce violence and racism.”
The Jewish Federation of Greater Toledo and the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo also shared statements on Facebook:
“The Jewish Federation of Greater Toledo adds its voice of sadness and despair to the voices of many others searching for real solutions to senseless gun violence in America. Whether the motivation of such violence is prejudice, hatred, or mental illness, it makes no difference to the lives lost, to the wounded, or to the families of those directly impacted.
“Our community joins with all Americans in calling for action on this epidemic of violence that threatens us all wherever we go in public, whether to school, the mall, or places of worship. Our words are not enough. We pray that the memories of those who lost their lives in El Paso and Dayton will be a blessing to all who knew them and that the injured, both physically and emotionally, are returned to full health speedily and completely. We stand in solidarity with those communities because we are one nation, diverse and stronger together.”
The Islamic Center posted the following statement:
“We, at the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo, are deeply saddened and offer our prayers and condolences to all those bereaved and affected by the horrific shootings in El Paso and Dayton. No words can truly express the shock and anguish felt as a result of the surreal murders of innocents. May God bless the memory of the victims and may He provide comfort and serenity to all those who are enduring another senseless tragedy. We continue to pray for this madness to stop.”