Baltimore-Area Catholic Sisters Sponsor Ad Campaign To Reduce Gun Violence
The Sisters of Bon Secours, USA – along with seven other congregations of Catholic sisters in the Baltimore area – are launching a city-wide campaign with one powerful message: “Put the Guns Down.” You’ll see the ads on city buses, inside buses, and on Metro Subway transit lines around Baltimore.
The goal is to raise awareness about gun violence in our city and across Maryland – and to take a stand for peace, healing and hope.
Dear Lord, help us to be a loving presence for our neighborhoods, and lovingly support all those who suffer because of gun violence. May You help us seek alternatives to violence in our ways of sharing life together in our communities.
We lift our prayers to You, confident of Your love, knowing that You hold all of our suffering people in Your comforting embrace, now and always.
We pray for those who feel despair in the face of the epidemic of gun violence, that they may find new hope in a disarmed future.
We pray for legislators and policymakers, that they may work tirelessly to address the systemic causes of gun violence and have the courage to resist the powerful forces trying to maintain the status quo.
Adapted from: Nuns Against Gun Violence Coalition Prayer Service
Participating Catholic Congregations
Gun violence is a public health epidemic because it:
- Causes widespread injury and death. According to the Gun Violence Archive, 201 people were killed by firearms in Baltimore City in 2024.
- Results in serious physical and mental health consequences, including chronic pain, disability, and psychological trauma.
- Strains healthcare systems, increasing costs for emergency care, surgeries, and long-term rehabilitation.
- Disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, especially marginalized communities, which face higher rates of gun violence. https://health.maryland.gov/violence-prevention/Pages/Public-Health.aspx)
