In concert with the Sisters of Providence, Marie de la Roche Province congregation’s concerns for global non-violence and its mission of co-creating a world of compassion, justice and peace, the Leadership team of Marie de la Roche Province sent the following letter of commendation and support to Edward Stack, Chief Executive Office of Dick’s Sporting Goods, for his significant steps toward ending gun violence:

“Dear Mr. Stack:

We commend you on the very brave stance you have taken with respect to gun sales.

The Sisters of Divine Providence have a strong tradition of educating in the Diocese of Pittsburgh and other dioceses in the United States. It is beyond the imagination of any Sister that someone could enter her classroom with a weapon of mass destruction and slaughter students, faculty and staff. What you have done should make this far less likely.

Thank you for taking the position of immediately ending sales of all assault-style rifles, raising the minimum age to purchase firearms to 21, banning high capacity magazines and bump stocks, requiring universal back-ground checks that include relevant mental health information and previous interactions with the law, ensuring a complete universal database of those banned from buying firearms, and closing the private sale and gun show loophole that waives the necessity of background checks.

We congratulate you for taking this very strong pro-life stance.”

Pictured above: On March 24, Sisters Karina Conrad, Ana Lydia Sonera Matos and Marise Hrabosky (right to left) joined March for Our Lives and took to the streets of downtown Pittsburgh to protest the gun violence plaguing American schools.