Faith Leaders Discuss Healing After Nationwide Acts of Violence
People continue to make sense of what transpired on Saturday with an attempted assassination on former President Trump. In times of crisis, they may turn to their faith.
As people attended church services Sunday, a serious or somber mood was common.
Fr. Michael Ferrick, the Rector of St. Peter's Cathedral said, "We prayed for former President Trump and the victims of the shooting."
After an event like Saturday's shakes the nation, how do priests and spiritual directors handle the questions they may get from parishioners? "Violence is never the answer, we need to listen to one another, we are not always going to agree. But we look to Jesus in his time had a lot of people who didn't agree with him and he never resorted to violence", explained Fr. Ferrick.
Fr. Ferrick said in times like these, people often turn to fear. But he said rather than fear, they should turn to God as illustrated in the Gospel. "We can live in fear and never leave our homes, our we can go on with our lives like the gospel today, Jesus sends out his disciples two by two to proclaim the gospel message", said Fr. Ferrick.
Fr. Ferrick said in these times, leaning on the foundation of the Gospel is helpful too. "Good overcomes evil and we just have to trust that. We want immediate results right now, God's time and our time aren't the same."
Bishop Lawrence Perisco also released the following statement on behalf of the Erie Catholic Diocese: "Our hearts are saddened and we offer prayers for all who were affected by the shooting at a political rally in Butler on July 13. Although some are already using the moment to stir up anger and distrust, I urge people, instead, to search for unity and peace. This is no small event for our country. While we all cherish American ideals, the challenge is in living them out. Respect must permeate every aspect of our lives. We have the responsibility to ask ourselves, “In what small ways can I promote a more tolerant, thoughtful approach to
others?” Healing our nation starts within ourselves, our families, our neighborhoods and our communities. May God bless us as we seek his guidance. "