TAKE ACTION: Mark the passing of 100,000 during the pandemic

Pax Christi USA is joining with Sojourners and other partners in calling for a National Day of Mourning and Lament to grieve and honor those who have died from COVID-19 and join together for the healing of our nation. As part of our participation, we are continuing to highlight the Pledge to Protect Others and encouraging others to sign on as a way to take our shared grief and demonstrate our commitment “to protect family and friends and [our] wish not to cause harm to another’s family or friends”.

From Sojourners

This week the United States surpassed the grim mark of 100,000 deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this moment, faith leaders from around the country have joined Sojourners in calling on people from all faith traditions to take the time to lament the loss of our brothers and sisters. As people of faith we refuse to let these deaths go unnoticed. Our nation needs time and space to truly lament the loss of our loved ones taken from us by COVID-19.

On Friday and Saturday, many of our Muslim and Jewish neighbors will join us by mourning this mark in their own traditions and practices. Then, on Monday, June 1, we are calling for interfaith leaders to partner with their mayors and other local elected officials to hold virtual prayer services and mark the passing of the 100,000.

We are are working with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, who have endorsed this effort, and have already received commitments from mayors in over three dozen cities and over 15 states to make Monday, June 1 a National Day of Mourning and Lament.

We need you to do two things:

1. Ask your pastors and congregations to join in this weekend’s unprecedented show of unity, as mosques, synagogues, and churches acknowledge this grim milestone with a time for lament and mourning — in whatever ways are best and most appropriate in your tradition.
2. Call on your elected officials — mayors, governors, and members of Congress — to acknowledge Monday, June 1 as a National Day of Mourning and Lament with interfaith clergy. Please invite your pastors and local faith-based leaders to help plan and join in with those interfaith services.

Resources for the National Day of Mourning and Lament:

• Find the call for a National Day of Mourning and Lament here.
• A toolkit for organizing a community event is here.
• Prayers to use throughout the weekend and on June 1st can be found here.