FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 12, 2024
St. Martin, Ohio – In a united effort to create a culture within communities that values life, peace and the inherent dignity of all, the Ursulines of Brown County are joining other regional religious congregations to sponsor a billboard message to end gun violence and promote peace. The billboard messages will appear through May 5th in areas around Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland and will read: “Put the Guns Down! Nobody is Winning. Let Peace Begin with Me.”
The campaign comes at a time when our country is plagued with an epidemic of gun violence. According to Everytown Research and Policy, the toll gun violence takes on our communities is staggering with 120 firearm deaths and 200 more wounded per day (Feb. 13, 2023). Moreover, Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence states that the leading cause of death of children and teens in the United States is now firearms (Jan. 11, 2024). Inaction in the face of this epidemic is unacceptable. We must take decisive action to prevent these deaths from occurring.
Sister Barbara Hagedorn, SC, councilor, explains, “The Leadership Team of the Sisters of Charity as well as many others have been feeling so helpless about the gun violence and senseless killing that is overtaking our cities. Many of our young people are dying in the prime of life. When the idea of the billboard was proposed, it gave us a concrete way to respond and gave us our call to action. When the idea was mentioned to the other women’s communities in the area, we received great support. The billboard’s message is a collaborative plea for nonviolence and peace. We pray that the message has a positive effect on those who see it.”
The billboard is one step in the congregations’ efforts to bring awareness to the gun violence epidemic. Together we can confront the culture of violence with love. We must prevent more tragedies from occurring and create a world where gun violence is no longer the norm.
The Ursulines of Brown County encourage others to join us in action by writing letters to the editor and to legislators in support of this campaign. You will find sample letters attached below. Please contact Sr. Christine Pratt at christine1641@cinci.rr.com for additional information.
Below is a list of participating congregations for this campaign:
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
Ursuline Sisters of Cincinnati
Ursulines of Brown County
Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati
Glenmary Home Missioners
Benedictine Sisters of St. Walburg Monastery
Sisters of St. Francis, Tiffin, Ohio
Sisters of Notre Dame USA, Covington, Kentucky
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