Photos of the Week: U.S. mass shootings; Hawaiian volcano

By Kit Doyle · December 2, 2022

(RNS) — Each week Religion News Service presents a gallery of photos of religious expression around the world. This week’s photo gallery includes reactions to several mass shootings in the United States, volcanic eruptions in Hawaii and more. Bill Loper, interim artistic director of the Out Loud Colorado Springs Men's Chorus, leads the group during a rehearsal for its Christmas program in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. Gay and lesbian choruses like Out Loud came about after the assassination of San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk and have taken an active role in the healing process after mass shootings like that the Nov. 19 attack at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs that killed five people. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert) The Rev. Paula Stecker, of Christ the King Lutheran Church, waits to potentially minister to mourners in front of a memorial set up outside Club Q following last week's mass shooting at the gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colo., Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert) A crime scene is taped off at New Season Church in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022. Metro Nashville Police say two people suffered injuries that are not considered life-threatening in a drive-by shooting Saturday outside the church as people were departing funeral services for 19-old Terriana Johnson, who was fatally shot earlier in the month. (AP Photo/Jonathan Mattise) Hagins K. Conyers Jr., left, assists Carmen Kingston as she lights a candle for Fernando "Jesus" Chavez-Barron, 16, of Chesapeake, Virginia, during a prayer vigil held by the Chesapeake Coalition of Black Pastors at The Mount (Mount Lebanon Baptist Church), Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022, for the six people killed, including Chavez-Barron, at a nearby Walmart, when a manager opened fire with a handgun before an employee meeting Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Bishop Kim W. Brown, right, and Elder Valerie K. Brown, center, pray during a prayer vigil held by the Chesapeake Coalition of Black Pastors at The Mount (Mount Lebanon Baptist Church) in Chesapeake, Virginia, Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022, for the six people killed at a Walmart, when a store supervisor opened fire with a handgun before an employee meeting Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Rabbi Eli Chitrik of Turkey shows off kosher bagel sandwiches in Doha, Qatar, Monday, Nov. 28, 2022. His freshly fare is baked in Qatar to feed Jewish World Cup visitors who want to keep kosher during the tournament. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) Allen Mozo, of Haleiwa, Hawaii, carries an offering to an altar below the Mauna Loa volcano as it erupts Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022, near Hilo, Hawaii. Glowing lava from the world's largest volcano is a sight to behold, but for many Native Hawaiians, Mauna Loa's eruption is a time to pray, make offerings and honor both the natural and spiritual worlds. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Illona Ilae, a Native Hawaiian from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, sings as she leaves an offering in front an altar below the Mauna Loa volcano as it erupts Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022, near Hilo, Hawaii. For many Native Hawaiians, Mauna Loa's eruption is a time to pray, make offerings and honor both the natural and spiritual worlds. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Former President Barack Obama, left, greets Sen. Raphael Warnock, right, before Obama speaks during a rally on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022, in Atlanta. Warnock is running against Republican Herschel Walker in a runoff election. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) A wounded boy receives treatment at a hospital after a deadly bomb blast at a religious school in Aybak, the capital of the Samangan province in northern Afghanistan, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. The blast Wednesday at a madrassa killed at least 10 students and wounded a number of students, a Taliban official said. (AP Photo/Saifullah Karimi) A church choir sings during the annual Norwegian Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Trafalgar Square, in London, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022. The Christmas tree is an annual gift to mark the 75th year of London receiving a tree from Norway, as a thank you for its support during the occupation in World War II. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Archival Photos No sleigh for Santa in desolate Starr County, Texas, in 1973. He flies a light plane, dropping Christmas gifts to the isolated families below. Santa is the Rev. James Gebhart, a Southern Baptist missionary to ranchland families around Rio Grande City in south Texas. For the past three years he has been flying over the area just before Christmas Day, delivering his gifts. RNS archive photo by Don Rutledge. Photo courtesy of the Presbyterian Historical Society. Children in the Rio Grande City area in 1973 are excited to find the package of clothes, toys and candy dropped by the Rev. James Gebhart, who delivers more than 150 Christmas gift packages to ranch families. TDonated by Southern Baptist churches across the nation, the parcels contain a booklet telling the Christmas story so that families can read of the first Christmas in Bethlehem. RNS archive photo by Don Rutledge. Photo courtesy of the Presbyterian Historical Society.

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