Churches host ‘Gun Safety Awareness Sabbath’ this weekend

Maine Public | By Carol Bousquet
Published February 18, 2024 at 10:51 AM EST

The Maine Council of Churches and gun safety advocates encouraged houses of worship in Maine to participate in a “Gun Safety Awareness Sabbath” this weekend.

Reverend Jane Field, Executive Director of the Council, said services included prayers for gun safety awareness and prevention of gun violence. Congregants were also encouraged to address trauma from gun violence that could exist in their own lives.

“I served churches for years in Connecticut, one town over from Sandy Hook. I watched as years went by and the trauma was still being processed and it can last such a long time. But faith communities can step into that space and offer healing and comfort and a chance for people to reflect through the lens of their faith on that experience,” Field said.

Field said that she hopes prayer will be the first step for parishioners who want to take action.

The Maine Council of Churches supports universal background checks, red flag laws, mandatory waiting periods after gun purchases, and bans on civilian ownership of high-capacity ammunition magazines and military assault weapons.

More than four hundred Protestant churches serving at least fifty-thousand parishioners in Maine took part in the initiative this weekend.

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