Local churches, religious leaders react to shooting
One day after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump during which two people died, including the gunman, and two others were critically injured, Christians across Butler County flocked to church.
Religious institutions across Butler County, regardless of denomination, have publicly expressed shock and outrage at Saturday’s, July 13, incident.
“Tonight in Butler from the depths of our hearts we cry ‘Lord, have mercy,’” wrote a representative for First English Lutheran Church on its Facebook page. “May the God of peace console the grieving, bring healing to Mr. Trump and others who may be suffering, give strength to law enforcement and first responders, and preserve us from further violence.”
In an official statement, Kevin Fazio, pastor of All Saints Parish in Butler, denounced the assassination attempt.
“We are shocked and saddened by the tragic shooting and act of violence that occurred,” Fazio wrote. “There are feelings of fear, hurt, anger, and sorrow in our community right now. As Christians, we need to remember that during times of darkness, we are called to reflect the light of Christ. May we continue to pray for peace in our world, in our country, and right here at home.”
The above statement was read aloud at Sunday Mass at both St. Paul and St. Andrew churches in Butler.
Bishop David Zubik of the Diocese of Pittsburgh — which includes Butler — also expressed disgust at the shooting, but also praised the Secret Service for its quick action to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.
“We are grateful for the swift actions of the Secret Service and our local first responders. Let us join together in prayer for the health and safety of all, for healing and peace, and for an end to this climate of violence in our world,” Zubik wrote.
At least one local Methodist church also joined in the condemnations, in what has already been a turbulent period for Methodists as a whole.
“Please know that as you gather tomorrow I am praying for you,” wrote Pastor B.T. Gilligan of Nixon United Methodist Church, who was traveling when the shooting occurred. “Please pray for our nation. Pray for the first responders. Pray for the deceased. Pray for the injured. And regardless of your political ideology, pray for candidate Trump.
“In the midst of political discourse and debate we must remain calm and peaceful. Violence is never the answer. Please know that as Christians we denounce all gun violence, and we believe that we are called to handle political differences with our ballots and not our bullets.”
Underscoring the tension of the weekend in Western Pennsylvania, at least two of the All Saints Parish Catholic churches — St. Peter and St. Andrew — were watched over by a security detail in front of the church buildings.
One former Butler County reverend also chimed in. The Rev. Ronald Schermerhorn, formerly of the Mount Chestnut Presbyterian Church, now presides over First Presbyterian Church in Rockingham, N.C. After Saturday’s events in Butler, he said his heart hurt for his old home, which he left one year minus one day before Saturday’s events.
“In a nutshell, I think it is horrible that we have come to this place where we cannot really agree to disagree on things,” said Schermerhorn, who said he is dealing with political disagreements at his current church. “I think both this president that we have and the one that's running are very divisive people. And the problem is, we get behind a person, and it just gets out of hand and it turns into a violent incident like this, and that's just not necessary.”
