Archbishop John C. Wester. Courtesy photo

ARCHDIOCESE OF SANTA FE NEWS

Archbishop John C. Wester has issued the following statement regarding the recent mass shootings in Gilroy, Calif.; El Paso, Texas; and Dayton, Ohio:

Once again we are stunned as we receive news about the unthinkable acts of violence inflicted upon our innocent brothers and sisters. These most recent tragic episodes in Gilroy, El Paso and Dayton, along with so many others, are a clarion call for us to come together as a nation to uphold the dignity and sanctity of human life as we unite against domestic terrorism, violence and racism. We must learn to love one another as Christ has taught us.   

We join in prayer with the mourners, in rituals that have become too commonplace, and we ask God to grant to those killed eternal rest, and healing for the injured and for the families of all victims, as well as for our nation.

We ask Him to protect all of us who remain steadfast in our commitment to advance the knowledge that all persons are created in the image and likeness of God, and thus deserving of human dignity and love.

May God grant us the grace to do all in our power to eradicate hatred, bigotry and violence from our country, which has been so deeply wounded by these crimes