Wear Orange Weekend June 6-8

Justice and Peace Issues

NUNS AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE PARTICIPATE IN WEAR ORANGE WEEKENDMISSION STATEMENT:Nuns Against Gun Violence is a coalition of Catholic Sisters and their allies that affirms the value of human life through prayer, education, and advocacy for common sense, evidence-based, gun violence prevention. The goal is to unify and multiply advocacy among sisters of various congregations.BACKGROUNDOn January 21, 2013, Hadiya Pendleton marched in President Obama’s second inaugural parade. One week later, Hadiya was shot and killed on a playground in Chicago. Soon after this tragedy, Hadiya’s friends commemorated her life by wearing orange, the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others. Wear Orange is now observed every June. Thousands of people wear the color orange to honor Hadiya and the more than 43,000 Americans are killed with guns and approximately 76,000 more are shot and wounded every year.BEGINNINGNuns Against Gun Violence was founded in April 2023 to bring together congregations of Catholic sisters to speak with a united voice against the crisis of gun violence. Members want to galvanize action against guns, particularly in the Catholic community, promoting an urgency about an issue that for too many Americans has become the norm.FROM APATHY TO ACTIONWhile some mass shootings still generate media attention, the steady drumbeat of individual killings largely goes unnoticed. Many involve young people whose lives never had a chance to get started.The Gun Violence Archive a nonprofit that tracks incidents of gun violence in the United States, reported 43,069 gun-related deaths in 2023, compared to 47,452 the previous year. The numbers show a decline, but the sisters believe that progress has not been swift enough.Mass shootings increased from 644 in 2022 to 656 in 2023. In 2024, mass shootings—defined as incidents where four or more people are killed or wounded—continued to number more than one every day.Nuns Against Gun Violence is advocating for legislation that would address issues such as:• Suicide, with shootings as the number one cause of death. Proponents of curbs on guns argue that guns are a reason so many suicide attempts are successful, with those who use them succeeding 90 percent of the time in killing themselves, far more than any other method. According to the Centers for Disease Control, six out of every 10 gun-related deaths are suicides. The sisters view gun violence as a public health issue.• Curtailing deaths of young people. Gun violence is now the number one cause of death among youths under 18, surpassing disease or car accidents.• Gun security. Ethan’s Law, now languishing in Congress, would mandate that gun owners safely secure their weapons in a bid to lower the rate of accidental shootings. Millions of American children are raised in homes with firearms.• Red flag laws, which prevent those with mental health or criminal records from owning guns. Nuns Against Gun Violence want to make sure that those with serious mental health issues are denied guns.• Placing more restrictions on exports of guns. While much attention is placed on guns that come north from Mexico into the United States the traffic is actually heavier in the other direction. Weaponry produced in the United States fuels much of the gang and drug wars in Latin America and the Caribbean. The sisters support a lawsuit by the Mexican government against American gun manufacturers.

PRAYER & FASTINGSpirituality plays a key role in the efforts of NAGV. There are anti-gun Lenten programs focusing on fasting and prayer. The Wear Orange Campaign takes place in June. Other times of the year the sisters promote campaigns to wear orange, a symbol of the anti-gun movement. Fasting against gun violence is a spiritual practice promoted by the sisters. In fasting, those who participate are offering “a small sacrifice in solidarity with all those suffering from gun violence.” By combining prayer with action, Nuns Against Gun Violence’s hope is that, one day, prayers will no longer be needed to mark the deaths of youths and that the listing of victims in any routine week in America will be empty.LOCAL ACTIONHere is a link to a campaign launched by the Sisters of Bon Secours in Baltimore who have joined with six other congregations of women religious to promote a Put the Guns Down CampaignWEBSITEVisit the Nuns Against Gun Violence website to learn more.

The group sponsors anti-gun Lenten programs focusing on fasting and prayer. Other times of the year the sisters promote campaigns to wear orange, a symbol of the anti-gun movement. Fasting against gun violence is a spiritual practice promoted by the sisters, who would like to see it become a part of American parish life.

Nuns Against Gun Violence says that in fasting, those who participate are offering “a small sacrifice in solidarity with all those suffering from gun violence.” Last Lent, members began their fast on Ash Wednesday with a noon online prayer, Scripture reading, silence, and a reflection, a practice they will continue.

Fasting is “a public prayer that purifies not only the one fasting but the entire community, preparing us to stand our ground against the powers and principalities,” the group noted in a 2024 press release. Whether via prayer, social action, or both, the sisters remain committed to overcoming the apathy and indifference about what they see as a clear and present danger in our midst. In its appeal for their Lenten fast against killings, Nuns Against Gun Violence asks those participating to do more than pray. “The loss of life and continuous toll of grief and trauma on individuals, families, and communities compel us to take action to change our society to protect life,” the group noted.

By combining prayer with action, Nuns Against Gun Violence’s hope is that, one day, prayers will no longer be needed to mark the deaths of youths and that the listing of victims in any routine week in America will be empty. The sisters have a long way to go.

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