(SACRAMENTO)— Calling the incidents “sickening” and “heartbreaking,” Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto today issued the following statement concerning the senseless mass shootings in Gilroy, CA,  El Paso, TX and Dayton, OH:

“The recent senseless assaults against the communities of Gilroy, California; El Paso, Texas; and Dayton Ohio have extended a sorrowful litany of hateful violence.  St. Paul reminds us not to grow weary of doing good.  ‘Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up.’ (Gal. 6.9) We cannot let these demented deeds poison our spirits or cripple our resolve to build strong communities rooted in the wisdom and mercy of Jesus.

Following is the text of a letter to the faithful of the Diocese of Sacramento issued July 24 by Bishop Jaime Soto,

Dear Friends in Christ

Please join me in opposing the provision of abortion on university campuses in California and praying for the protection of infants and young college-age women from the scourge of abortion.

(In photo above, Karla Jardon, right, became Catholic during the Easter vigil at St. Mel Parish in Fair Oaks this past Easter, with Bob Laywell as her sponsor. He has worked with the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults since 2011.)

“I have always been hungry to know my faith, to really, really know it,” Bob Laywell says. “As a cradle Catholic, I always knew I was Catholic but when I was challenged, I often couldn’t explain why.”

Twenty-nine years ago, he attended a Promise Keepers event in Anaheim where 45,000 Christians came together. “It was nondenominational. I got mingled in with people of different faiths, and I was challenged many times about my faith: ‘You’re a Catholic; you’re going to hell.’ I didn’t know all the answers.”