The weekend of June 3-4, 2023, churches across The Diocese of West Missouri are invited to participate in “Wear Orange Day” in honor of victims and survivors of gun violence across our country.

Wear Orange Day was born out of a tragic shooting in Chicago. On January 21, 2013, Hadiya Pendleton marched in President Obama’s second inaugural parade. One week later, Hadiya was shot and killed on a playground in Chicago. Soon after this tragedy, Hadiya’s friends commemorated her life by wearing orange, the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others. Wear Orange Day is now observed every June. Thousands of people wear the color orange to honor Hadiya and the more than 40,000 people who are killed with guns and approximately 85,000 who are shot and wounded every year.

On Trinity Sunday, June 4, Bishop Diane invites the churches in The Diocese of Missouri to observe Wear Orange Sunday during their services in honor of the victims and survivors of gun violence in our country. We will stand united in our call to end gun violence as we come together for Wear Orange Sunday.

Clergy and Bishop’s Wardens are invited to ask their congregations to wear orange on Sunday, June 4, and clergy are encouraged to wear orange stoles, and use orange hangings and flowers. In the Sunday liturgy, churches are encouraged to offer special prayers of lament and of hope for a different future.  This bulletin insert is also available to encourage worshippers to choose ways to work toward an end to gun violence.

However you choose to observe Wear Orange Sunday, the important thing is that we honor and remember in prayer those whose lives have been cut short by gunfire and those survivors whose lives are forever scarred. Our faith compels us to love one another as Christ has loved us.

If you want to be informed about urgent issues, calls to action, legislative alerts, and ongoing gun violence prevention work with The Diocese of West Missouri, please complete our form.

This article is based on an article originally published by the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri, and has been adapted for publication by The Diocese of West Missouri.

The Rev. Mary Haggerty, is Missioner for Gun Violence Prevention with the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri.