Prayer Vigils Set in Six Counties Prior to Scheduled Execution of Marshall Lee Gore
July 8, 2013 • Diocese of St. Augustine

Jacksonville, Fla. – Somberly awaiting the upcoming execution of Marshall Lee Gore, schedule for Wednesday, July 10, the Catholic Bishops of Florida invite the faithful and members of the community to pray for the condemned, his victims, Susan Roark and Robyn Novick, and their families.

The Catholic Church teaches that all human life, given by God, is sacred. This sacredness is not contingent upon one’s guilty or innocent behavior. Like his predecessors Benedict XVI and John Paul II, Pope Francis, in a recent message to participants of the Fifth World Congress Against the Death Penalty, reiterated the call to commute capital sentences to a lesser punishment that allows for time and incentives for the reform of the offender.

Standing in support of life and dignity, the Diocese of St. Augustine’s Justice and Peace Commission has organized prayer vigils in six North Florida counties after the stay of execution had been lifted for Marshal Gore. The prayer vigils are opportunities to pray for those on death row, and for the victims of violent crimes and their families. Accompanying this release is an open letter by the Florida Bishops to Governor Rick Scott released May 22, 2013.

The peaceful prayer vigils are a reminder that “we cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing.”

Vigils will be held at the following locations: 

  • St. Johns County: In front of the St. Augustine Beach City Hall at the corner of AIA and 16th Street, from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Contact Nancy O’Byrne (904) 461-9216 or email: obyrnen@bellsouth.net. 
  • Duval County: In front of the Duval County Unified Courthouse, 501 W. Adams Street, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information, contact Martha Malone at (904) 608-7225 or email:  magumlmm@bellsouth.net.
  • Flagler County:  In front of the Flagler County Courthouse, 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Bunnell, from 5 to 6 p.m. For more information, email Jackie Morelewicz at jackiem@cfl.rr.com or call (386) 986-3146. 
  • Union, Bradford, Alachua counties: Across the highway from the Florida State Prison Execution Building from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Drive eight miles west of U.S. 301 (Starke) on Florida Highway 16 W. For more information, contact John Linnehan (904) 504-1004 or email: metanoia.mx@gmail.com.