The Restorative Justice Ministry offers prayer services whenever a person loses their life to violence. These gatherings serve as a compassionate response to tragedy, honoring the life of the individual and acknowledging the grief carried by families and communities. Each service is led by a priest, who offers prayers of healing, mercy, and hope on behalf of the Church.
Sometimes the family and friends of the victim are present, joining together in mourning, remembrance, and solidarity. Other times, only a handful of people attend, standing quietly at the site where violence occurred. Regardless of the size of the gathering, the intention remains the same: to transform a place marked by harm into a space of grace, prayer, and the promise of new life.
Through these services, the ministry seeks to accompany those affected by violence, uplift the dignity of every human life, and invite the community to walk the path of healing together. We hold these prayer services across all three counties of the archdiocese—Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo—as a public witness that no life is forgotten and no act of violence is beyond the reach of God’s mercy.
