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Vigil for Peace held outside Good Shepherd Church

January 17, 2018 Meaghan McGoldrick

BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/ Photos by Arthur De Gaeta

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Once again, on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, one Bay Ridge-based group held its annual Candlelight Vigil for Peace.

On Sunday, January 14, Peace Action Bay Ridge — a group of locals dedicated to peace initiatives — met at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (7420 Fourth Avenue) the night before MLK Day — a national holiday rooted in solidarity — with one common goal: ending gun violence.

“Our vigil is held in the spirit of non-violence and Martin Luther King Jr. was the champion of non-violence,” said Vicki McFadyen. “That’s why we do it the night before MLK Day.”

The group — which saw about 10 vigil-goers Sunday evening despite below-freezing temperatures — believes strongly in gun control.

“Eleven percent more children and 25 percent more adults are killed by gun violence [in the U.S.] as compared to countries in Europe,” McFadyen stressed. “Every time this comes up in Congress, the NRA squashes it. We think enough is enough.”

The group stood in solidarity for about an hour, she said.

The event was co-sponsored by the Bay Ridge United Methodist Church.