FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                     
June 3, 2022

Contact: Brian Reardon

Statement by Sr. Mary Haddad, RSM, President and Chief Executive Officer
Catholic Health Association of the United States

We pray for and grieve with the loved ones and colleagues of the shooting victims at Saint Francis Health System in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This horrific act of violence within our Catholic health community furthers our resolve to turn our sorrow into action so that we can prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.

Today is "Hospitals Against Violence Day" which both calls attention to violence as a public health crisis and highlights ways in which America's health systems can end violence in our workplaces and our communities. In the wake of the recent mass shootings in Tulsa, Uvalde, and Buffalo, the caregivers who treat victims of gun violence are crying for help.

We again call on Congress to find common ground to enact sensible measures. In our letter to Congress this week, we call for enactment of measures that require completed background checks for the sale or transfer of all firearms; provide funding for the CDC to conduct public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention; ban the purchase and sale of assault-style weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines; and temporarily prohibit an individual from purchasing or possessing firearms when deemed by a judge to pose a danger to self or others.

We need Americans to reevaluate what it truly means to say we are a free country and how we balance individual rights with our responsibility to ensure the safety and security of our communities Prayers for those affected by gun violence are needed but are not enough. People of goodwill and those who believe in a loving God can no longer stay silent and still. We must act now to change our nation's policies on firearms to align with justice and peace.

Donations to support the victims' families and employees at Saint Francis Health System can be made at https://tulsacf.org/saintfrancisstrong/.

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Download PDF of the Statement