Hoping to evoke a spiritual experience and psychic change that will heal racism, stop violence and curb hate, Tom Gray has joined Unite Our Nation in organizing a traditional 2-hour Eucharistic procession and patriotic rosary through the streets of Seattle.

The procession, led by Father Nicolas Wichert, will start at St. Brendan's Catholic Parish located at 10100 NE 192nd St. on Sunday, Oct. 18 at 1:30 p.m. and proceed along the highway to Bothell City Hall at 18415 101st Ave. NE.

One of the stops along the path will be the scene where Bothell Police Officer Jonathan Shoop was shot and killed by fellow officer Mustafa Kumcur in July after a routine traffic stop turned into a car chase and gunfire with Henry Eugene Washington. Even though Shoop was shot by Officer Kumcur, Washington is being held responsible on charges of murder, according to media reports.

“Hopefully, the Lord Jesus Christ will shine through this procession and give us his blessing,” Gray told the American Catholic Tribune. “My hope is that it will bring people back towards God. We have to start relying on God instead of putting our trust in politicians. We need to put our faith in the Lord.”

The Seattle procession is among some 30 processions planned nationwide, including in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday, Oct. 4; Detroit on Saturday, Oct. 31; Steubenville, Ohio on Saturday, Oct. 3; Little Rock, Arkansas on Saturday, Oct. 17; and Atlanta on Saturday, Nov. 7.

“We want the procession to bring peace to people, not anger,” said Gray in an interview. “It's amazing how nobody can listen to anybody, everything’s about fighting and whoever yells the loudest is the one that gets the work done." 

The event is also designed to bring calm and rationale to the streets, according to Gray.

“We’re finding out that we're really not in control of our lives," he said. "So, we need to trust in Jesus, believe in Jesus because Jesus is the only truth that we can rely on.”

Gray also expects people who come upon the procession to join the walk as they did in Madison, Wisconsin on Aug.15, where 3,000 people gathered to pray for the unity of the nation. Another procession is planned in Madison on Sunday, Oct. 11.

“Catholics need to come back to their roots,” Gray said. “The Eucharist is the center of our faith and we are standing in procession with that and relying on God to lead the way for us.”

In addition to a procession, the rosary is another spiritual tool that Catholics employ. Rosary Around Illinois and Rosary Coast to Coast are partners with Unite Our Nation, as previously reported.

“I think there will be a lot of people who will turn out that are just tired of the politics and want to have a peaceful resolution to what's going on,” added Gray. “There is another way other than burning, yelling and shooting people.”

For more details, specific dates and to be involved as a volunteer or organizer, visit Rosary Coast to Coast, Unite Our Nation or email Gray at gwtom@att.net.