With broken hearts, we stand with the mothers and fathers and all loved ones grieving the children and teachers whose lives were brutally taken at school in Uvalde, Texas. We stand with the community of Uvalde, who must bear this tragic burden and loss. We grieve, but not as those who have no hope. And we pray because we believe there is another way for us to live, a way rooted in love, in faith, in nonviolence, and a way that holds all human life sacred and holds all communities beloved.
Even as we offer solidarity through lament and prayer, we refuse to accept a world in which thoughts and prayers are offered without meaningful policy change to address the crisis of gun violence in this country. While we grieve alongside the families and community in Uvalde and those still grieving in Buffalo, we renew our call on state legislatures and Congress to enact more comprehensive laws limiting access to deadly weapons.
In Mercy,
Institute Leadership Team of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas
Sister Patricia McDermott, President
Sister Patricia Flynn
Sister Judith Frikker
Sister Anne Marie Miller
Sister Áine O’Connor