Nov. 23, 2022
The IHM Leadership Council calls to end the epidemic of gun violence in America
We, the Leadership Council of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Monroe, Michigan, are heartbroken by the tragic attacks in Colorado Springs, Colorado November 19 and at a Walmart in Virginia yesterday evening. We lament the culture of gun violence and the hatred that are the root causes of these tragedies. The accessibility and use of weapons of war must end as quickly as possible.
Our faith, hope and love call us to prayer, reflection and action. We pray for the victims, their families, friends and the nation. We pledge to address the root causes of prejudice and violence within ourselves as we examine our own thinking, words, beliefs and actions that perpetuate discord in our relationships and our circles of influence. We also pledge to work for a transformation of structures and systems that promote prejudice and actions of violence. We stand with persons who are excluded and denied human dignity. We commit ourselves to help address the anger, contempt, and indifference that fuel violence against people because of their sexual orientation, skin color, race or religion. We commit to encouraging our congregation, families, friends and opponents to join us.
May we help each other. May we see each other as brothers and sisters, all loved by God, sharing precious life on our common Earth home. May we move forward together toward peaceful, welcoming, inclusive, diverse communities.
Nov. 4, 2022
Statement of leaders of Catholic Sisters of Michigan
We decry the violent divisiveness that is characterizing our upcoming national elections, threatening the fundamentals of our democratic system of self-governance and the right of individuals to vote their conscience. We call on people of goodwill throughout our state to honor and respect the human dignity of every person who exercises the right to vote in accordance with his or her own life experience and God-given conscience.
The elected leaders of the following Michigan congregations of Catholic Sisters issued the above statement:
Congregation of St. Joseph
Dominican Sisters of Adrian
Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids
Servants of Jesus
Sisters of Mary Reparatrix
Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
May 25, 2022
IHM Sisters Say, “Enough” in the Wake of Another Mass Shooting
For the second time in one week, it is necessary for the Leadership Council of the IHM Sisters of Monroe, Michigan to speak out publicly in condemnation of a mass shooting. Earlier this week, an 18-year-old opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas where he killed 19 children (between the ages of eight and 10) and two teachers. This horrific act follows just days after a white supremacist walked into a grocery store with a gun in Buffalo, New York and murdered 10 people.
We pray for the lives lost, the families torn apart and the survivors (especially the young children) who will be forever traumatized by yesterday’s senseless violence. While we are both sorrowful and outraged, we are also hopeful that this will finally be the moment that we stand up together as a nation and say, “Enough!” From Aurora to Buffalo, to Oxford, to Parkland, to Sandy Hook, to Uvalde and in communities across the nation, a lethal combination of guns, violence, racism, hatred and political inaction is costing countless lives. But mass shootings like this are not inevitable. Our elected officials (at both the federal and state levels) have the power to stop these atrocities and they can and must do everything possible to pass meaningful gun violence prevention legislation.
At the federal level, we invite you to join us in calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202- 224-3121 and ask your Senators to move quickly to pass enhanced background check bills that have already passed the House. If you live in Michigan, we invite you to go to www.migunsafety.org to learn about the various policies that the “End Gun Violence Michigan” campaign is promoting to save lives. These include universal background checks, safe gun storage, “red flag” laws and bans on guns in government buildings. May our collective grief and anger at this moment be transformed into meaningful action.
May 18, 2022
The IHM Leadership Council Denounces White Supremacist Gun Violence in Buffalo
On May 14, a predominantly Black community in Buffalo, New York was rocked by an act of white supremacist gun violence that took the lives of 10 people and injured three others. This horrific mass shooting was fueled by racist conspiracy theories that have, sadly, become common in our political discourse, on social media and in some mainstream news outlets. It was facilitated by our nation’s continued refusal to enact any meaningful gun safety legislation in the face of mass shooting after mass shooting. We condemn both the systemic racism and the culture of gun violence that are the root causes of this tragedy.
The Leadership Council of the IHM Sisters of Monroe, Michigan grieves with our sisters and brothers in Buffalo and we recommit ourselves to addressing systemic racism and cultivating non-violence within ourselves, our congregation, our Church and our national and global communities. We offer the following prayer (adapted from one created by the Ignatian Solidarity Network) and invite others to pray with us:
God of abundant love,
In the aftermath of another horrific act of violence and racism,
In which, human lives, sacred and precious, were lost,
We pray for blessing and healing in the Buffalo community.
In a special way we pray for:
Celestine Chaney
Roberta Drury
Andre Mackneil
Katherine Massey
Margus Morrison
Heyward Patterson
Aaron Salter
Geraldine Talley
Ruth Whitfield
Pearl Young
And the three individuals who were injured during the attack. We pray for their loved ones and for all who were present during the attack and who are grappling with its aftermath.
We hold in our hearts all those killed by gun violence and who are victims of racism, as well as those victimized by hateful lies.
God, wrap your healing love around these individuals and their families and communities, and inspire each of us to act with prophetic love so that racism and violence have no place to grow in this world.
Amen.
Feb 24, 2022
IHM Sisters call for peace in Ukraine
Following in the non-violent footsteps of Jesus, the Leadership Council of the IHM Sisters of Monroe, Michigan condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and we call for peace. Our hearts are breaking as we watch the situation unfold and calls for diplomacy are flouted. We agree with the assessment of Pax Christi International, leaders in the global Catholic peace movement, that war in Ukraine will lead to immense suffering, death, displacement of people and mass destruction with long-lasting effects on the country’s economy and global stability. On the Russian side, there will be many casualties among the soldiers, often young conscripts, who have been drawn into war. Equally, the environmental impact of weapons of war will be enormous and devastating.
We unite with communities across the country and around the planet in prayer and action for peace. We join Pope Francis in calling for the global Catholic community and all people of faith and goodwill to make Ash Wednesday (March 2) a day of prayer and fasting for peace and an end to war in Ukraine. Let us pray for the lives of those already lost in this conflict. Let us pray that the Spirit of comfort and compassion will envelop all of those living in the region. Finally, let us pray for a cease-fire and a renewed pursuit of global peace and diplomacy as we join in a unified voice to say, “War is not the answer!”
Feb. 15, 2022
The IHM Leadership Council recently endorsed an organizational sign-on letter to the Biden administration requesting an 18-month Temporary Protected Status (TPS) extension and re-designation for South Sudan.
South Sudan’s TPS designation is set to expire on May 2, 2022. But South Sudan is still under conditions making safe return impossible. New and escalating armed conflict, devastation from environmental disasters, and an intensifying humanitarian crisis presenting extraordinary and temporary conditions qualify South Sudan for extension and re-designation. Both extension and re-designation are vital to safeguard the lives of both current TPS holders and South Sudanese individuals who have arrived in the United States since the last re-designation in 2016.
The IHM Chapter 2012 Directions state, “Together, with those who share our vision and values, and in solidarity with those who are made poor and marginalized by existing structures, we choose to move forward with profound trust in the power of the Spirit, living the liberating mission of Jesus Christ.” This endorsement was made with this commitment and the IHM community’s ongoing support of and ministry through Solidary with South Sudan in mind.