Dear People of God in the Diocese of Chicago:

The words of the prophet Jeremiah come to mind so often these days:

Thus says the Lord:
A voice is heard in Ramah,
lamentation and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children;
she refuses to be comforted for her children,
because they are no more. (Jeremiah 31:15)

On days such as this one, we are all Rachel, all weeping, all beyond comfort. Please pray today for the dead in Uvalde, Texas, and in Buffalo, New York. Pray too for those who die  daily on the streets of Chicago and other cities, for victims of domestic violence, and for those who die alone and in despair.

We are heartbroken, and I pray that our anguish moves us to action. The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations has provided resources for taking advocacy action and contacting your members of Congress. You can also participate in Wear Orange Weekend on June 4 and 5, and you can donate to support the people of the East Side of Buffalo and the people of Uvalde.

Especially now, as we struggle to understand this unfathomable violence, may God grant us the peace that passes understanding.

Faithfully,

Bishop-elect Paula Clark