Last Monday, I sent a note to the Senior Pastor of B’nai Israel, Rabbi Michael Safra, expressing our sympathy and solidarity with our Jewish neighbors over the Pittsburgh synagogue shootings. St. E’s has a longstanding, strong relationship with B’nai Israel. You can read the main text of my note below.
Rabbi Safra thanked me and very graciously invited me to participate in their “Shabbat of Solidarity” to pray for peace, justice, and healing for our country. Unfortunately, it conflicted with our own prayer and discussion of
Three Simple Things, so I had to decline.
Please continue to pray for our friends at B’nai Israel, for the victims of Tree of Life, and for greater solidarity with all of our Jewish brothers and sisters as we stand against all forms of anti-Semitism.
Sincerely in Christ,
Msgr. Bill Parent
The text of Msgr. Parent's letter to Rabbi Safra follows:
On behalf of our entire St. Elizabeth parish community, allow me to express our sympathy and solidarity with the B'nai Israel community over the horrific evil of the mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. Given the proximity and similarities between B'nai Israel and Tree of Life, I would expect that in addition to the bonds of faith there are personal connections between your congregations. We are outraged and consider any such attack on our elder brothers and sisters in the Lord's covenant to be an attack on ourselves, too. We prayed for justice and healing for the victims and their loved ones at all of our Sunday Masses.
Please be assured of our continued prayers, and please don't hesitate to let me know if there's any way that we can express our solidarity with your congregation in standing against anti-Semitism.