Originally published at National Catholic Register
Catholics in the Archdiocese of Baltimore gathered on Monday night to participate in an interfaith community prayer service in the city memorializing victims of homicide there.
The coalition of faith leaders and other community organizers met at St. Joseph’s Monastery Parish in the city’s Irvington neighborhood before holding a prayer walk to My Brother’s Keeper, a nonprofit community resource service run by Catholic Charities.
Participants gather at St. Joseph’s Monastery Parish during a peace walk sponsored by the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. Credit: Yvonne Wenger
The names of the city’s homicide victims were read aloud during the 15-minute walk. The city has recorded roughly 200 homicides throughout 2024, down from earlier years but still significantly higher than the national average.
The walk was facilitated in part by the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Grief Ministry, which works to “accompany families who have lost a loved one to violence.”
Yvonne Wenger, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese, told CNA that the 2024 event was the second such walk. A similar prayer service was held last year.
In a press release the archdiocese said the grief ministry works “through partnerships with the Baltimore Police Department and Roberta’s House, a nonprofit family grief support
