Priest Stabbed During Mass at Mexico City Cathedral

From National Catholic Register-

A Mexican priest is in “delicate but stable” condition after being stabbed in the neck Monday evening at Mexico City’s cathedral, according to government and Church authorities.

Father José Miguel Machorro Alcalá, 55, was stabbed in the neck and torso May 15 at the conclusion of saying Mass at the cathedral.

Witnesses reported that it appeared the attacker’s intention was to slit the priest’s throat.

Authorities detained a suspect at the scene who had reportedly attempted to flee the cathedral. The suspect has been identified as John Rock Schild, who identified himself as an artist from the United States. He is believed to be about 30 years old.

More here-

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/priest-stabbed-during-mass-at-mexico-city-cathedral

Episcopal clergy go orange against gun violence

From Salt Lake City-

Orange isn’t a traditional liturgical color in the Episcopal Church.

But on Sunday, June 5, Episcopal clergy across the country are planning to wear orange stoles in a stand against gun violence, inspired by the Wear Orange campaign.

“Everybody has some story somewhere where gun violence has touched their lives or the lives of their congregation that has made them say, ‘Yes, we know this problem is there, and we know that we have a call to address it,'” said the Rev. Rosalind Hughes, rector of Church of the Epiphany in Euclid, Ohio.

The idea came when the Rev. C. Eric Funston, rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Medina, Ohio, posted on Facebook back in April about Wear Orange, which asks people to wear the color for National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 2.

More here-

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865655199/Episcopal-clergy-go-orange-against-gun-violence.html?pg=all

also here-

http://religionnews.com/2016/05/27/episcopal-clergy-goes-orange-against-gun-violence/

We have right to be safe, but as a nation we are failing to make it happen

From Maine-

The recent shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs and the mass murder in San Bernardino are frightening reminders of the unprecedented level of gun violence now assaulting our country. In each of the last few years, more than 30,000 of us have become victims of gun violence, often at the hands of a friend or family member, or at our own hands.

Headlines about terrorism and mass shootings blind us to the fact that there are daily shootings of dozens of people across the country — more than 80 a day. In Maine, there were 158 firearm deaths in 2013, the last year for which there are published statistics from the Centers for Disease Control. That’s nearly double the number in 2003 (82).

More here-

https://www.centralmaine.com/2015/12/11/we-have-right-to-be-safe-but-as-a-nation-we-are-failing-to-make-it-happen/

Watch it: Episcopalians to meet for peace gathering

From Oklahoma-

Today,  the Episcopal Church USA and the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma said that four plenary sessions at the denomination’s “Reclaiming the Gospel of Peace: An Episcopal Gathering to Challenge the Epidemic of Violence” conference will be available for live stream viewing.

Organizers said the sessions will be live streamed free of charge.

The conference begins tonight at the Reed Conference Center in Midwest City and continues through Friday.

The host diocese is led by the Rt. Rev. Edward Konieczny (pictured).

Catch the live stream events and more information about the conference here: “Reclaiming the Gospel of Peace” 

http://newsok.com/watch-it-episcopalians-to-meet-for-peace-gathering/article/3953553

Five dead in Muslim-Christian clashes near Cairo – reports

From Cairo- (posted five minutes ago)

Violence has erupted between Muslims and Christians near the Egyptian capital city, killing five people and injuring eight, reports Egyptian state news. The clashes reportedly began on Friday night and continued well into Saturday.

A brawl between two rival communities left four Coptic Christians dead as well as one Muslim in al-Khusus, northeast of Cairo, reported Reuters.

Sources said that the violence was sparked on Friday night when a group of Christian children were caught drawing graffiti on the wall of a Muslim religious institute.

A nearby Anglican church was allegedly set ablaze during the dispute.

In spite of President Mohammed Morsi’s pledge to protect Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority upon assuming power last year, Muslim-Christian clashes have been on the increase and sectarian tensions continue to run high.

http://rt.com/news/egypt-clashes-christian-dead-434/

Honoring Chicago’s Victims

From The Living Church-

About 1,400 people joined an evening prayer vigil and marched through downtown Chicago March 22 in honor of the city’s 806 young victims of gun violence since 2008.

CROSSwalk began in the evening at St. James Commons. The march included a large turnout of supportive police in squad cars, on foot, and on bicycles. Police stopped traffic as the procession completed a circuit through some of the busiest downtown streets of the city. Marchers drew curious stares and occasional calls of support from bystanders.

The vigil made intermediate stops at Daley Plaza and Old St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church. At St. Patrick’s Julian Roman-Nunez, 11, read his somber account of the day in October 2010 when his older brother, Manuel, had been shot and killed.

The final stop was a park across the street from Stroger Hospital, where many victims of gun violence in Chicago are often treated.

There the Rev. Carol Reese, a recently ordained priest appointed to serve as chaplain of Stroger’s trauma department, praised the marchers’ grassroots campaign to change laws and a culture of violence.

More here-

http://www.livingchurch.org/honoring-chicago-young-victims

SUDAN: Kadugli bishop calls for day of prayer and fasting to end violence

From ENS-

Bishop Andudu Elnail of the Episcopal Diocese of Kadugli, Sudan, is calling on Sudanese Christians and churches throughout the world to observe Sunday, June 26, as a day of prayer and fasting for an end to the violence that has plagued the border region of Southern Kordofan for the past two weeks, resulting in a humanitarian crisis as thousands of people flee their homes and find themselves cut off from aid.

"Once again we are facing the nightmare of genocide of our people in a final attempt to erase our culture and society from the face of the earth," said Elnail, who has served as Kadugli's bishop since 2002.

The unrest in the oil-rich Southern Kordofan state began with clashes between the Sudan Armed Forces from the north and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army from the south. But government forces from the north on June 20 were continuing an aerial bombardment of the region as President Omar al-Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity in Darfur, said that he was prepared to go back to war.

Elnail said: "It is not a war between armies that is being fought in our land, but the utter destruction of our way of life and our history, as demonstrated by the genocide of our neighbors and relatives in Darfur. This is a war of domination and eradication, at its core it is a war of terror by the government of Sudan against their people."

More here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_128798_ENG_HTM.htm

Nigeria: Gunmen Kidnap Imo Monarch

From All Africa-

A first-class traditional ruler and secretary of Ndi-Eze in Owerri-West Local Government Area of Imo State, Eze H.M. Obichere, Eze Ola 1 of Oforola was weekend abducted by unknown gunmen, who stormed his country home and whisked him away at gunpoint.

Eze Obichere was said to have been abducted while attending a church service.

The gunmen, numbering six stormed an Anglican Church, located some meters away from his palace, where the traditional ruler had gone for the Sunday worship at about 11am.

According to eye-witness account, the 9am mass at the Church, which Eze Obichere attended was still on when the hoodlums, who arrived in black jeep, struck.

The hoodlums, were said to have trailed the traditional ruler to the church, where they waited at a near-by beer parlour for the church to close. They allegedly sent for him in the guise to have him remove his car, which they claimed was blocking their own car.

More here-

http://allafrica.com/stories/201003230259.html