The Rt. Rev. William H. Stokes, Bishop of New Jersey, writes about a mass shooting that occurred early Sunday in the see city of Trenton:
As Bishop of New Jersey for the Episcopal Church and a resident of Trenton, I wish to express my deep sadness at the shooting that took place at the Art All Night festival in Trenton earlier [Sunday] morning, in which one person was killed and 17 were injured. I am praying for all those who were injured, for the deceased, and especially the 13-year-old who is in critical condition. I also recognize that prayers will only be effective if they are connected to action.
Our nation has a gun disease that is killing too many. Gun violence that results in the death and maiming of young people, especially in our nation’s cities, has too often been ignored by the media and the wider culture. As a member of Bishops United Against Gun Violence, a network of more than 70 bishops of the Episcopal Church, I understand that urban violence is a byproduct of the sins of racism and poverty that have marred our nation and its cities for too long.
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
