Archbishop Aymond leading the fight against New Orleans violence

Archbishop leads "blessing of the streets" in crime-weary neighborhood .wwltv.com
Posted on June 19, 2011 at 5:54 PM

Scott Satchfield / Eyewitness News

NEW ORELANS - They walked for peace, while remembering the many lives claimed by violence on the streets of New Orleans.

Led by Archbishop Gregory Aymond, a procession of worshippers delivered their message in the Saint Roch neighborhood Sunday -- an area all too familiar with the harsh realities of violent crime in the city.

Clark Richardson walked to honor a friend -- killed just a few weeks ago.

"We all have someone or multiple people that we're all marching for and that we're all thinking about," Richardson said. "United we stand, divided we fall, especially with stuff as serious as people hurting and killing one another."

They call it a blessing of the streets -- an event organized by Our Lady Star of the Sea Church and its pastor, Father Tony Ricard.

"I've had to bury so many young people as the pastor of this church and it's extremely difficult to try to console a mother and a father when you're burying their 17-year-old son, and so our congregation, they're tired of having to go through this," Ricard said.

Marynell Fernandez is one of them.

"Every time you look at the news, it's two and three young men getting killed and we need to stop this -- stop these guns and drugs from coming into our city," she said.

That's why, for some, this showing of solidarity is comforting.

"Just trying to come together as one, as a people, and showing that there is a means other than resorting to things that's gonna cause fatalities," said Gerard Moore.

Along the way, Archbishop Aymond led the group in prayer.

"On the streets that we marched, people, especially our young people, have shed their blood because of murder and violence and racism, and we ask god to bless them, to give them eternal rest," Aymond said.

Those walking for peace know the effort can't solve all the problems, but they hope it will help.

Their message is targeted toward the many young men who, they say, have gone down a dangerous path -- often ending in tragedy.

"They feel lost. They're out there wandering. They don't know where to turn to next, and so part of my goal is to let them know, that even when you've done something wrong, you can always come back to God," Ricard said.

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