Churches in the Northwoods are holding special services as a time to promote healing after the killing of 50 people early Sunday morning at a gay nightclub in Orlando. An interfaith gathering is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m. at Saint Matthias Episcopal Church in Minocqua. The names of the 50 victims will be read, then the group will go to Torpy Park for a candlelight vigil and other demonstrations.
Tonight(June 15) a service has been scheduled at the First Congregational United Church of Eagle River at 7:00 p.m. Pastor Mary Anne Biggs says the ecumenical gathering will mourn the loss of the victims, pray for the wounded, acknowledge the heroism of emergency personnel. She also says they will pray for Muslim brothers and sisters who denounced the attack.
She says the point of the service is love is stronger than hate and the incident will be misinterpreted...
"....that this will be seen as a Muslim attack, when clearly what this was a very misguided, and I would guess there is much more involved here with someone with disabilities that are mental in origin, I don't know..."
Pastor Biggs says she noticed the media reports saying "largest mass killing to date", and she says that approach was chilling. She wonders if someone would try to beat that number?
".....clearly it was time to do something. We decided to hold a service to stand in solidarity with the people in Orlando, but also make a statement in the Northwoods that the time has come to gather together...."
The service begins at 7 p.m.(June 15) at the church at 105 north 1st street in Eagle River. Pastor Biggs says she talked with other churches and other services have been or are being held.
