By Maria Bohan
Today is National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
Throughout the United States, people are wearing orange clothing and using the hashtag #WearOrange on social media to show their support for gun safety activism.
National Gun Violence Awareness Day kicks off Wear Orange Weekend, where activists will gather at marches, rallies, and other events to bring attention to this cause.
These passionate individuals share a common bond with many of the Sisters of Saint Dominic of Blauvelt, New York.
Don’t let the peacefulness of the Motherhouse fool you—as Dominican Preachers of Truth, the Sisters take on various social justice causes with an infectious energy.
One cause many of the Sisters and Associates have been fiercely advocating for is gun safety.
In March several of our Sisters and Associates attended March for Our Lives events throughout the tri-state area.
Sisters Didi Madden, O.P., and Ellenrita Purcaro, O.P., traveled to Washington D.C. for the main March for Our Lives event.
There were so many people there that, according to Sister Didi, “it wasn’t really a march. People got off the Metro and made it ten feet [from the station exit], and that was it.”
The event was an “unbelievable” experience for Sister Didi. “I’ve been to a lot of marches, and there have always been holes in the types of people represented.” At the event in D.C., however, “it was a real slice of America gathered.”
Sister Didi had important conversations with people carrying signs that said “Policy and Change, Not Thoughts and Prayers.” She realized that “we need [to provide] action in addition to spiritual and moral support. Participation in public protest is something we are called to do.”
To learn more about National Gun Violence Awareness Day and the #WearOrange movement, visit https://wearorange.org/.
Maria Bohan is a Volunteer for the Communications and Development Office at the Sisters of Saint Dominic of Blauvelt, New York. She is a student at Bryn Mawr College majoring in English and a graduate of Pearl River High School.