Orleans Church Pays Tribute To Lewiston Victims

ORLEANS – Outside the Federated Church of Orleans, 18 chairs sit neatly assembled, their emptiness a symbol of the lives lost in last month’s mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine.

“It’s kind of in a circle, so we’re all in this together,” said Rev. Darren Morgan. “But the walkway divides it to show that a community has been split apart.”

On Oct. 25, 18 people were killed and another 13 were injured in a shooting at the Just-in-Time Recreation bowling alley and neighboring Schemengees Bar & Grille in Lewiston. The shooter, Robert Card, 40, of nearby Bowdoin, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Oct. 27 at a nearby recycling center.

The shooting is the latest to prompt discussions about gun violence nationally, including among members of the Federated Church. The church’s interfaith justice committee, which includes members of both the Federated Church and Am HaYam Cape Cod Havurah, held a public forum on the issue prior to the Lewiston shooting, Morgan said.

Prior to coming to Orleans, Morgan served as a judicatory minister overseeing United Church of Christ churches across Maine. That included one in Auburn, which neighbors Lewiston.

“I know a lot of people up from that area, so this is just a way of tribute to let them know in Maine that we are certainly praying for them,” he said.

Response to the “silent tribute” on the church’s lawn has been positive, Morgan said. He said some people have called the church with words of support, while cars have also beeped in acknowledgement while passing by on Main Street.

Morgan said the Lewiston shooting, like others that have preceded it, serves as a reminder of the threat that gun violence poses for all communities, including in Orleans and across the Cape and Islands.

“I think this is a perfect example of how no one is immune,” he said. “This continues to be an issue. It’s not a matter of it happening somewhere else. Lewiston seems like a long way away, but it really isn’t. Gun violence is an issue that is affecting us all, so this is not going away.”

Email Ryan Bray at ryan@capecodchronicle.com