Gun violence in the United States is absolutely a pro-life issue.
As Catholics, we believe that “Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2258). Gun violence is claiming the lives of innocent human beings and it is our duty to uphold the sacred dignity of each human life.
We also believe “The production and the sale of arms affect the common good of nations and of the international community. Hence public authorities have the right and duty to regulate them. The short-term pursuit of private or collective interests cannot legitimate undertakings that promote violence and conflict among nations and compromise the international juridical order” (CCC, 2316, emphasis added).
As faithful Catholics, we are called to stand up for the common good of our nation. We are called to stand up for the lives of the innocent. We are called to defend life at all stages, in all circumstances. We are called to use our voices to speak up for life.
We are called to be PRO-life without exception, without hesitation.
Please join us in standing up for life and protecting all lives against gun violence in our country.
Get Involved
Everytown
Write your leaders. Everytown gives you the opportunity to send a message to Congress.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Let the USCCB know that this is an important issue and they need to speak out on it. Contact them here.
Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund
Give to the Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund which advocates for better gun laws in our country. You can also sign petitions for common sense gun laws.
Click Here for Prayers for an End to Gun Violence
Prayer for Peace After Gun Violence
“Thus says Yahweh: a voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and bitter weeping. Rachel, weeping for her children, refuses to be comforted, for her children are no more.” –Jeremiah 31:15
God, comforter of the broken and disheartened, We come to you plagued with an agonized grief after yet one more outbreak of senseless gun violence.
We come to you, from the East to the West, from the North to the South, people of all ages, ethnicities, and walks of life.
We represent one voice, the voice of bitter weeping echoing throughout our cities and resounding in communities throughout the world.
As violence abounds, we sit in the darkness, sitting alongside the suffering on the mourner’s bench.
We are Rachel, mourning with wordless sobs, the lives of those sacrificed on the altar of violence.
We are Rachel, weeping for the wounded,for those whose minds and bodies are etched with painful memories of men’s unjustifiable rage.
We are Rachel, lamenting with the families who have lost loved ones whose cries of despair join with those from tragedies of gun violence.
We are Rachel, perplexed with troubled souls, and searching for answers, seeking to understand what would cause humans to inflict pain on their fellow sisters and brothers.
We are Rachel, exasperated, grasping—crying out, “How long, O God?” How long will this wave of violence consume your people?
Written by Kristyn Russell
Kristyn is a Midland native who attended St. Brigid Catholic School before heading to Jefferson and Dow High School. She holds a Master’s degree in Theology from Villanova University and a Bachelor’s degree in Theology with a minor in Communication from Aquinas College. When she’s not at work, she’s usually with her dog, Caspian, kayaking a new river, hiking through the woods, or sitting by a campfire reading a book. Contact Kristyn.