NORWOOD, N.J.—A candlelight vigil for victims of gun violence in four major American cities will occur tonight at Presbyterian Church in Norwood at 701 Broadway, 8:15 to 8:45 p.m., sponsored by a Democratic mayoral candidate and a national gun control group.
In a last-minute change of venue, the vigil had to be moved to Presbyterian Church when administrators at Immaculate Conception Church declined to hold the vigil there, after initially agreeing to host the event.
The half-hour candlelight vigil is sponsored by Annie Hausmann, Democratic mayoral candidate, and Moms Demand Action (For Gun Sense in America), a nationwide grassroots movement that is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, a national organization with six million supporters.
U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff) will speak about legislation he co-sponsors to help reduce gun violence in America, said Hausmann.
“More than 36,000 people are killed due to gun violence each year in the United States. Members of the Northern Valley community are unifying their call for the Senate to pass House Resolution 8,” said Hausmann in a statement released before the vigil.
Change of venue
Hausmann claimed she was forced to relocate the vigil to the Presbyterian Church due to Immaculate Conception Church’s cancellation when an administrator told her “it would look bad” to host the vigil there while Mayor James Barsa was holding a mayoral campaign kickoff barbecue at his home nearby.
Hausmann said she invited the mayor and council to the candlelight vigil for gun-violence victims of El Paso, Texas, Dayton, Ohio, Chicago, Illinois and Baltimore, Maryland. She posted the change of venue for the vigil to her Facebook page early on Aug. 8.
Barsa said he played no role in Immaculate Conception Church’s cancellation of Hausmann’s candlelight vigil event. He said Hausmann picked the evening of Aug. 8 “trying to compete with our event” and added she was “politicizing a very terrible event.”
Barsa said he anticipated 39th District representatives including Republican state Sen. Gerald Cardinale and state Assembly members Robert Auth and Holly Schepisi will attend the mayoral campaign kickoff barbecue.
Barsa has served as mayor for 13 years, including three terms and part of an unexpired term.
He said his re-election campaign for mayor has wide support among Norwood residents.