Photo by Erin Nelson.
Signs with Bible verses, flowers and words of encouragement grace the sign at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills on June 24, 2022, in remembrance of the three victims of the shooting that took place June 16, 2022.
As the anniversary of the June 16, 2022, shooting at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church approaches, church leaders are preparing to remember the occasion.
The Rev. John Burruss, rector at Saint Stephen’s, said the Most Rev. Michael Curry, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, will speak at the 6:30 p.m. service on Friday, June 16. At the service, the church will commemorate the lives claimed by the shooting: Bart Rainey, Jane Pounds and Sharon Yeager.
The ribbons that hung across the Parish Hall, the site of the shooting, will be turned into a “beautiful front door altar,” Burruss said. Those ribbons poured in from well-wishers and parishioners from around the country in the days following the shooting.
“It’s tender, but not somber,” Burruss said of the church’s emotions. “Christians believe that God offers life through death. June 16 for us is a proclamation of our faith. It’s an opportunity to proclaim what we believe.”
The church also recently celebrated its 50th anniversary in May, performed a play written by Red Mountain Theatre and participated in Rise Against Hunger.
To honor the victims of the shooting, Burruss said the church published a memoir titled, “The Light Shines in the Darkness: Christian Hope after a Mass Shooting.” The book features a compilation of essays written by 42 individuals in response to the shooting.
“We wanted to reflect the hope, love and compassion that Saint Stephen’s chose to embody in response to the violence inflicted upon our parish,” Burress said. “Forty-two parishioners courageously reflect on the tragedy and its effect on their lives and Christian faith.”
The book was edited by local author and church member Melinda Rainey Thompson, the daughter of Bart Rainey. Photography was provided by professional photographer Van Chaplin, who is also a parishioner, as well as other congregants.
“When John asked me to lead a group of nonprofessional writers from our church to create a collection of reflections on this event, I was initially hesitant. However, it has been a healing process,” Thompson said. “The way that Saint Stephen’s responded to the shooting and the tidal wave of grief in its wake is an inspirational story.”
Proceeds from the book will go toward the labyrinth the church is building to remember the victims and offer parishioners and the public a place to pray and reflect, Burruss said.
One year after tragedy struck, the church is continuing to move forward by God’s grace, Burruss said.
“God is continuing to take what is painful and broken and turn it into something beautiful,” he said.
