Ryan Buschman, Sarah Buschman, Carla Reyes, and Judy MacKenzie stand with the portrait of Kevin Miller after last weekend’s gallery exhibition.
Through the heartfelt efforts of parishioners Jennifer Coehlo and Jackie Tomasso last Sunday, Carla Reyes shared with the CTK congregation how her life was forever altered by the loss of her 19-year-old son Kevin to a senseless act of gun violence in 2012.
Carla displayed a portrait of Kevin created through the Souls Shot Portrait Project, which pairs fine artists with those impacted by gun violence. Judy MacKenzie, Director of Radio, Television, and Film Services at Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ), provided the prints for the exhibition in Morgan Hall. The exhibit was open between Masses, and the beautiful images, coupled with the heartbreaking stories accompanying them, profoundly affected those in attendance.
“I was struck by the way that Carla’s deep faith sustains and inspires her to share Kevin’s story and provide guidance and strength to others in their own struggles and, for young people, as they plan their journeys,” commented CTK parishioner Sarah Henrickson. “I found Carla’s willingness to share her family’s tragic story incredibly meaningful—and her ability and commitment to reach out to teach and share her insights, which are inspirational.”
Carla and Sarah are volunteers with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. This movement supports the 2nd Amendment but also promotes safe firearm storage, gun violence prevention efforts, survivor support initiatives, and sensible legislation such as universal background checks. We lose an average of 120 people a day to gun violence in the US – and about two-thirds of them are by suicide. In next week’s bulletin, Sarah’s son Ryan, a Haddonfield Memorial High School student and volunteer with M.D.A., will share insights from his senior project, which focused on active shooter drills and their effect on academic concentration following the drill.
For local meeting information visit MomsDemandAction.org or text READY TO 644-33.
For exhibit and artist participation information, or to submit the name of a loved one to be memorialized visit SoulsShotPortraitProject.org.