Cathedral to Toll Funeral Bell 118 Times to Mark National Gun Violence Awareness Day
Washington National Cathedral will mark National Gun Violence Awareness Day on Friday, June 7, by tolling its funeral bell 118 times to mourn the 118 lives lost each day to gun violence in America.
A service will follow the bell toll in the Cathedral’s Bethlehem Chapel, where D.C. Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith will speak as part of a special “Wear Orange” Noon Holy Eucharist. The color orange has become the defining color of the movement for gun violence prevention and is worn to recognize lives that are killed each day.
“Gun violence continues to plague our nation,” said The Rev. Canon Leonard L. Hamlin, The Cathedral’s Canon Missioner and Minister of Equity & Inclusion. “It is important that we take a moment to remember those who have been senselessly lost to gun violence. But we must also act in their memory. We must find a way to do better in their memory. We must not let politics get in the way of protecting each other from the dangers of gun violence.”
The service, along with the Congregation’s Gun Violence Prevention Ministry, will offer prayers and liturgy and an opportunity for deep reflection for those whose lives have been impacted by gun violence. The community will gather outside at the Cathedral Garth at 11:50 a.m. to listen to the bell toll and then process into Bethlehem Chapel for the service.
As part of this commemoration, the panels from the Faces Not Forgotten quilt project will also be on display. The quilt project was created by Christine Ilewski to give comfort to the families of young gun violence victims, age 20 and under, with a hand-painted professional portrait created by Faces Not Forgotten artists.
The service is open to media. Please RSVP in advance, as space in Bethlehem Chapel is limited. Media will be asked to move from the cathedral garth to Bethlehem Chapel before the community in order to minimize disruption.
Who: Washington National Cathedral clergy, joined by D.C. Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith,
What: Tolling of the Borden Bell in memory of the victims of Gun Violence, followed by a special “Wear Orange” Noon Holy Eucharist
When: 12 p.m. ET on June 7, 2024 (bell toll begins at 11:50 a.m.)
Where: Meet at the Cathedral Garth on the north side of the building near the entrance to the admin building (closest entrance at Woodley Road NW and 36th Street NW). Following the bell toll, everyone will move inside to Bethlehem Chapel.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Ari Geller, 202-689-4985, [email protected]
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About Washington National Cathedral
Grounded in the reconciling love of Jesus Christ, Washington National Cathedral is a house of prayer for all people, conceived by our founders to serve as a great church for national purposes.