By Episcopal Journal
Episcopal churches and the Diocese of Massachusetts intend to have a strong presence at the annual Mother’s Day Walk for Peace on Sunday, May 14 in Dorchester, Mass., a Boston suburb.
The 27th annual walk this year carries the theme “Cultivating Cycles of Peace,” benefiting the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute.
Diocese of Massachusetts bishop Alan M. Gates will be on hand to greet walkers at Town Field Park as they step off for the 4.3-mile walk.
All Saints Church, Brookline, posted that its team will “walk to honor persons who have been murdered and to celebrate their lives; to support the families and communities who are grieving; and to share their healing journey. Every homicide affects: family, friends, teachers, and community.”
The Mother’s Day Walk for Peace is a celebration of the potential to create more peaceful communities. It is the largest fundraising event for the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, which offers services, advocacy and training.
“In our society, we are constantly looped into cycles of violence that overshadow the transformative power of peace. Like a blooming flower, cycles of peace flourish when carefully cultivated. We have the agency to cultivate these cycles by empowering survivors, supporting returning citizens and their families and investing in Generation Peace,” the Mother’s Day Walk posted on its site.
The Mother’s Day Walk was founded in 1996 by the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute’s President and CEO Chaplain Clementina Chéry. The walk was created for mothers of murdered children to receive support and love from their neighbors.
“When Chéry’s son, Louis, was murdered, she wondered how she could grieve her son on Mother’s Day and also celebrate her living children. Twenty-seven years later, the MDW4P continues as a powerful way to honor loved ones who have been murdered and embrace our shared responsibility of peacemaking.
“Last year in the United States, approximately 26,031 people were murdered. For every homicide victim, there are at least 10 immediate family members directly impacted by that death. It is safe to say that this year there are at least 260,310 new survivors of homicide victims dealing with the emotional, physical and financial stress of losing a loved one to murder.
“This statistic doesn’t include the extended family members, classmates, colleagues, teachers, students or the families who are impacted by a loved one committing a murder. The toll of homicide affects the entire community and creates a large demand for the resources and the support that the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute offers,” the institute posted on its web page. Church teams can register themselves directly on the walk’s website and find more details at www.mothersdaywalk4peace.org.
