It has been nearly five months since a shooting at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church left three beloved members dead during a group potluck for seniors.
There is no set way to reopen a space after such a horrific event. Yet, on July 7, less than a month after the shooting, that’s what the seniors did. To ensure no one had to walk back into the space alone, they gathered in the large area just outside the doors to the Parish Hall and walked in together. They broke bread and shared the Eucharist and prayers. Afterwards, they shared a large meal together in the chapel, prepared by the “Middlers,” a group of middle-aged people in the church.
“It just felt like a real gift of love,” said the Rev. Becky Bridges, associate rector for formation and outreach at Saint Stephen’s.
Three days later, the entire congregation at the church did the same. It was the church’s way of “reclaiming” that space, of not allowing the evil of June 16 to have the last word.
Instead of living in fear, the people of Saint Stephen’s have offered ways of loving each other, said the Rev. John Burruss, the rector at the church.
“To me, that’s the gospel message,” Burruss said. “What do we do when we meet violence, pain and suffering? We respond with compassion and love.”
That gospel message was apparent in the days after the shooting as details poured in about what happened that night. The alleged perpetrator, just a few minutes prior to shooting his victims, was seated alone at a table when Bart Rainey, one of the victims, reached out to offer him a spot at his table and a chance to share a meal together that would never come.
The three victims, Sharon Yeager, Jane Pounds and Rainey, were “three people I deeply loved and spent a decent amount of time with,” Burruss said.
Now, the congregation is trying to “pick up the mantle” and follow their example, Bridges said. Yeager and Pounds were leaders of the altar guild, and many parishioners have signed up to help in that ministry since June 16, Bridges said.
“It’s a living example of our faith,” Burruss said, “People come to church as Christians to hear of Jesus Christ, who gave His life. … This is an example of what it means to be faithful. … We’re all asked to give of ourselves.”
The church has received no shortage of support from both near and far in the weeks and months following the shooting. One of the most visible signs of love came from the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Memphis, which created a connected series of fabric hearts, each with a Bible verse, a word of encouragement or a prayer, that now hangs from the Parish Hall, stretching across the entire room. The notes came not only from that church, but from churches around the country, according to a story about the project in the Daily Memphian.
People have sent in prayer shawls, a welcome comfort for those grieving, Burruss said. There has been an outpouring of support as well in the form of emails, text messages, letters and more, he said.
“I genuinely feel … lifted up by the prayers of the world,” Burruss said.
There may not be a manual for how to deal with what happened June 16, but Burruss said one thing that was apparent early on is that it must be done together. Grief is shared together, as is encouragement.
“I think many of us have utilized the resources of our community,” Burruss said.
The community was ready to help moments after the shooting. In the Publix parking lot adjacent to the church in Cahaba Heights, community members gathered to form a prayer circle, praying for those impacted.
It was seeing those people gathered together that made Bridges the most emotional, as she watched what was happening from England, where she had been the night of the shooting.
“The parking lot of Publix became a sacred space,” Bridges said.
Counseling was offered to those who were in the Parish Hall that night, and group counseling is now being offered through a third party to the church at large, Burruss said. Fabric artists are turning the fabric ribbons into a banner, and there will likely be some physical memorials coming in the future.
Next June 16, there will be a special service to remember the one-year anniversary of the shooting, with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, the head of the Episcopal Church in the United States, set to attend.
While the church has held traditional services, June 16 still shapes a lot of the sermons and messages sent to the congregation, Burruss said.
On their end, the staff has worked to be “really flexible,” Burruss said, something that is just part of the culture at Saint Stephen’s.
“Things don’t have to be done perfectly,” he said.
The staff has shown a lot of grace with each other and has had enjoyable retreats, more meals and times of laughter and joy, Burruss said.
For the church as a whole, it has been a clarifying time where members are reminded of what is most important, Bridges said.
While Bridges said the word “normalcy” has been avoided, Burruss said the church is moving forward.
“We continue to take steps forward because people show up asking, ‘How do I live my life? How do I be faithful?”
People have deepened their faith these past five months, Burruss said.
“There’s not a moment I’m not thinking about my faith and how to live it out,” he said.
The Rev. Katherine Harper, associate rector for pastoral care and liturgy, said there continues to be moments of “real closeness” in the congregation after the shooting.
For Harper, she said she has stayed “grounded in love” and reminds people to slow down and take whatever time they need.
“While I want to move past this, I know glossing over it won’t be helpful for anybody,” Harper said.
It’s important to not push feelings down, she said.
“We won’t get washed away in those hard feelings even though they seem really big,” Harper said.
Despite the events of June 16, the love that has been shown since that day has given Burruss hope, he said. “No matter what the news cycle is telling you, there is so much beauty and compassion and love in this world, and our ability to come together is deeply profound.”
