Archbishop John C. Wester Expresses Deepest Sympathy and Profound Condolences Regarding the Orlando Mass Shooting

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Monday, June 13, 2016-- Archbishop John C. Wester has made the following statement regarding the Orlando shooting:
 
"On behalf of all of us in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, I express our deepest sympathy and profound condolences on learning of the death of 49 people and more than four dozen more injured in Orlando, Florida.  We are all reeling from this senseless, cruel and horrific attack on innocent people, our fellow citizens, our brothers and sisters.  We offer our prayerful and sincere support to the family members and friends who are faced with this unimaginable suffering.  Once again our country has been grievously wounded by violent hatred and terrorism,  a wound felt by all of us and in particular by the gay community.  We are earnestly praying for all those who are plunged into such awful suffering.  We also recognize that this latest attack on innocent people has nothing to do with any one religion or ethnic group and we pray that the sickness of one individual does not spark further hatred by inappropriately placing blame where it does not belong.
 
I thank all our pastors, lay leaders and administrators for gathering your communities to pray for those who have died, those who are healing and all of their loved ones.  This is certainly a despicable and explicable tragedy and yet we will not shrink from our resolve to find a path to peace that eradicates bigotry, hatred and violence from our world.    We remain convinced that the Prince of Peace, our Lord Jesus Christ, will guide us in this endeavor and that one day we will all be united in a bond of love that conquers sin and death.  May those who have died rest in peace." 

Archdiocese of Santa Fe - Office of Communications/Media
Celine Baca Radigan, Director
505.831.8162  Website: http://www.archdiosf.org
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