Bells to ring for Orlando at Gaetz Memorial United Church

The two-year anniversary of a tragic mass shooting at an Orlando gay nightclub will be recognized in Red Deer.

At 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Gaetz Memorial United Church will ring its bells 49 times for the 49 lives lost on June 12, 2016. Families of the victims who died at Pulse Nightclub have since dubbed the occasion ‘Orlando United Day – A Day of Love and Kindness.’

Minister Amy Mueller says once the bells has finished ringing, the church’s sanctuary will be open for an hour for those in attendance to sit in silence, light a candle or say a prayer. Mueller and fellow minister Leila Currie will also be on hand to offer support.

“For a long time and in a continuing way, members of the LGBTQ2 community have been told their lives don’t matter as much as the lives of others or perhaps that there’s something wrong with them,” Mueller says “Churches, unfortunately, have played a big role in spreading that message. Gaetz Memorial doesn’t agree with that.”