After hearing their pastor speak about the growing concern of violence taking place in the City of Trenton as part of his homily, dozens of parishioners responded to his special request by getting up from their pews, walking outside to the front steps and reciting Pope Francis’ “Prayer for Peace and Protection from Violence and from  Terrorism.

The request was one step that Trinitarian Father Stanley DeBoe, pastor of Incarnation-St. James Parish, suggested could be made in response to the rash of shootings that have occurred across the city, including the three that happened within a 10-day period and were within a two-block proximity of St. James Church. Especially concerning was the incident that took place directly across the street from the East Paul Avenue church just before 11 a.m. on Aug. 27. News reports indicated that a man, who was sitting in his car, was critically injured when he was struck with a bullet in a drive-by shooting. As of Aug. 31, no further information about the man’s condition had been made available or about the shooters in the moving car was available.

Necessary Steps

Although he was very disturbed about the patterns of violence, Father DeBoe said it was the Aug. 27 shooting that “really shook me.” He was notified about the incident from an official at the Sprout School, a charter school located in the building of the former St. James Grammar School. 

“The students and staff were sheltering-in-place,” he said. “Everyone in the building was OK, but as news and pictures came in, it was evident that the violence rocking our city and cities around the country, is right at our front door.” 

One of Father DeBoe’s first thoughts was to inform Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., about the incident and share some of the immediate ideas he wanted to implement in the parish to address the violence in the city and the neighborhood and to “encourage us, as a parish community, to become involved in actions of prayer and solidarity for our neighbors who live in fear and violence.”

It was heartening, Father DeBoe said, when Bishop O’Connell responded and expressed compassion. “Add my own prayers to yours,” the Bishop wrote in his email. “Please give my love and prayers to all.”

Being Present

Along with reciting the Holy Father’s prayer after the homily, Father DeBoe shared some future goals about raising awareness about the violence in the neighborhood. And although he is aware of concerns for safety, he said it’s also his prayer that the incidents do not frighten his parishioners or keep them from taking positive action.

“I want [the incidents] to challenge us and for them to be an opportunity for us to be instruments of comfort, instruments of hope, instruments of love and change that will transform our neighborhood,” he said.

Father DeBoe added that the day before he made a concerted effort to meet the residents on East Paul Avenue, something he had not had the opportunity to do since arriving as pastor of Incarnation-St. James in December. So, he set out on his own walk, and as he encountered the residents, “I introduced myself and I talked with them.

“I sat on a few porches and listened to what they had to say; a couple of neighbors even invited me into their homes for coffee. I heard stories about our neighborhood,” he said, adding that it’s obvious that “they love this neighborhood, they’re proud of it and they are happy we are here,”

The violence on East Paul Avenue, he continued, is not caused by the residents but by “those who are trying to scare people on this street … by people who are trying to take over this street.”

“They want this street, but we’re not going to let them have it,” he said of the residents who continue to live on East Paul avenue and the parishioners who return to worship in St. James Church, even though they may live elsewhere.

An Aug. 31 article on midjersey.news reported that the rash of gun violence in Trenton have included 21 homicides, of which the latest occurred on Aug. 30 when a man was shot and killed.

Father DeBoe, in his homily,  underscored his point by drawing parallels between the message of the day’s Second Reading, James 1:17-18, 21B-22, 27, “Be doers of the Word and not hearers only,” and Gospel, Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23, to the ways in which his community of faith should respond do the acts of violence occurring in their midst.

The Gospel speaks about the Pharisees questioning Jesus for not admonishing his disciples for not following Jewish law by washing their hands before eating. Jesus responds by making the point about what good is it to follow laws if they don’t lead to a change of heart or lead people to God.

Through his words, “Jesus shows us how God acts, what God is concerned about. He opens our eyes and our hearts to be his true followers,” Father DeBoe said.

Father DeBoe exhorted the parishioners to be mindful of the importance of being a continued presence in the wider community, especially now during time of fear and the unknown.

“People are dying, being shot right at our doorstep and we can’t be blind to those at our doorstep,” he said. “The beauty of our church and our parish community needs to spill out of our hearts and out of this building and onto the street and into the homes of those who are right here. They are our neighbors.”