Interfaith Vigil to Stand Against Gun Violence

The
Interfaith Council of Southwestern Connecticut is sponsoring an interfaith
vigil on Sunday, March 16, at 5 pm at
the Unitarian Universalist Society in Stamford (20 Forest Street at Bedford
Street) as part of the national “Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath” weekend March
13-16, coordinated by Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence. Hundreds of
congregations and organizations around the nation will be marking this occasion
through special services, sermons, prayers, and community actions. “Several
area congregations are remembering the event in their weekend worship,” says
the Rev. Kate Heichler, Executive Director of the Interfaith Council. “This Sunday
afternoon vigil gives us an opportunity to stand as a broader community against
gun violence.”


Speakers will include Congressman Jim Himes, Senator Richard Blumenthal (to be confirmed), and Caroline Simmons, a Stamford resident who will address the issue of gun violence prevention from the standpoint of her five years at the 

Department of Homeland Security. Area clergy will offer brief remarks and

prayers, and the vigil will conclude with an outside witness involving empty shoes, remembering to those lost  to gun violence, and those committed to making our communities safer. Please bring a few pair of shoes with you. Area gun violence prevention groups
such as the newly formed Brady Chapter of SW CT and The Enough Campaign will
also be present. 

The Interfaith Council, which provides spiritual

leadership to solve community problems, is promoting this event to engage

public conversation and strategy on this moral and public health issue. Last

year, the IFC garnered nearly 500 signatures from clergy around the state

supporting stronger gun safety laws. An average of 32 Americans are murdered
with guns every day, and 140 are treated for a gun assault in an emergency room.
Medical treatment, criminal justice proceedings, new security precautions, and

reductions in quality of life are estimated to cost U.S. citizens $100 billion

annually. The lifetime medical cost for all gun violence victims in the United

States is estimated at $2.3 billion, with almost half the costs borne by

taxpayers. (Facts from Brady Campaign to

Prevent Gun Violence – www.bradycampaign.org)

The Interfaith Council has a long history of bringing

people of different faith traditions together for conversation and

collaborative action. The Council actively supports the diverse religious

expressions found within the communities of lower Fairfield County, and seeks to

build understanding among the various traditions through both collaborative

action addressing social needs, and through conversation and education. Through a diverse array of special

events and programs, the Interfaith Council is making “the place for interfaith

action and the space for interfaith conversation” in our communities. 

For more information, call

203-348.2800 or check the InterFaith Council’s website, www.interfaithcouncil.org,

or InterFaith Council on Facebook. For more information on this and other

programs, please contact Kate Heichler (kateheichler@gmail.com).