Friday: Mourning Lives Lost to Gun Violence

Every day in America, we lose an average of 118 lives to gun violence. On Friday, we'll gather to mourn the loss and to honor the victims.

D.C. Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith will join the ceremony, which begins outside at 11:50 am in the Cathedral Garth. The Cathedral’s funeral bell will toll 118 times, once for every life lost.

Lining the walkway to the Cathedral will be 118 orange flags inscribed with the names of the lost. Handmade quilts from the Faces Not Forgotten project will remember children lost to gun violence.

Following the bell toll, we’ll host a Eucharist at noon inside Bethlehem Chapel, joined by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde and featuring remarks from Chief Smith and the Rev. Dr. Ronald Hopson, associate professor of psychology and divinity at Howard University School of Divinity.

The public is invited to join us as we commit to building a culture that values life and says no to violence.