Chicagoland

Five years of praying for peace in our schools

By Catholic New World
Sunday, September 7, 2014

Five years of praying for peace in our schools

Sounds of praise and worship could be heard at Oakwood Beach in the morning hours of Aug. 30, 2014 as more than 200 people turned out for a Mass to pray for peace in the City of Chicago during the upcoming academic year. This was this fifth anniversary of the services, which are normally held on beaches across the city.
Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Perry elevates the Eucharist during a sunrise Mass on Aug. 30 at Oakwood Beach, 39th Street and Lake Shore Drive.The Mass marked the fifth anniversary of sunrise services hosted by the Black Deacons of Chicago to pray for peace during the upcoming school year. (Karen Callaway/Catholic New World)
Deacon Leroy Gill of St. Dorothy Parish hugs Stephanie Brown, the mother of Darius Brown, a 13-year-old Holy Angels student gunned down while playing basketball in the summer of 2011. Brown spoke at the end of the service.(Karen Callaway/Catholic New World)
Worshippers hold hands as they pray the Our Father during Mass. (Karen Callaway/Catholic New World)
The Chicago skyline serves as a backdrop as archdiocesan deacons stand during the Mass on Aug. 30 to pray for nonviolence during the school year. Some archdiocesan priests can be seen standing behind them. (Karen Callaway/Catholic New World)
Barbara Marovel of St. Martin de Porres Parish extends her arms in prayer. (Karen Callaway/Catholic New World)
After receiving Communion, Maria Hernandez of St. Pius V Parish kneels facing Oakwood Beach. (Karen Callaway/Catholic New World)

Sounds of praise and worship could be heard at Oakwood Beach in the morning hours of Aug. 30 as more than 200 people turned out for a Mass to pray for peace in the City of Chicago during the upcoming academic year. This was this fifth anniversary of the services, which are normally held on beaches across the city. During an interview after the first service in 2010, Deacon Leroy Gill, chairman of the Black Deacons of Chicago, said the when you’re on the beach at sunrise you are reminded of the beauty God intended for his land, not the violence seen on our streets.

People of all races joined the Aug. 30 Mass and received a booklet that shared facts about violence in the community and detailed ways in which different groups can help curb violence in their communities.

The Centers for Disease control reported in 2012 that homicide is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24 years old, with African-American males comprising 50 percent of that population.

Gill wrote in the booklet that, “Violence affects us all. Even youth who are not direct victims of violence are vitims to the chronic presence of violence via the media, in their homes and in some neighborhoods. It is a part of daily life.”

Topics:

  • peace
  • violence
  • prayer

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