Southwest Baltimore is undergoing a peace-building revolution thanks to Father Mike Murphy and the Archdiocese of Baltimore. In coordination with the Baltimore Police Department, Father Mike’s two archdiocesan gun buybacks removed 646 unwanted firearms from our community, including 281 handguns and 314 rifles and shotguns. Some voluntarily turned over had been stolen.

This month, Father Mike welcomed Archbishop William Lori to Saint Joseph Monastery — a historic worship site — to celebrate the archdiocese’s annual Blue Mass. The mass celebrated and recognized first responders from across the archdiocese, which spans Baltimore City and nine counties. Named for the color of uniforms worn by many first responders, the Blue Mass is a longstanding tradition in the Catholic Church to recognize law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics and all public safety professionals, both retired and in active duty. Father Mike welcomed all to “Bless The Blue.”

Father Mike isn’t just working with the blue to keep guns out of children’s hands. He grew up in the neighborhood himself, and for him, the ability for families to thrive is personal and his work continues all year long. Several weeks ago, Father Mike hosted a “Back to School” event in Irvington that placed new school supplies in the hands of West Baltimore young people. Ascension Saint Agnes, the sponsor of the event, is also a longtime supporter of Father Mike’s transformational work. Often, Ascension Saint Agnes will deliver the hospital’s Mobile Health Unit to Father Mike’s events — bringing health care directly to the people of Southwest Baltimore.

Come Christmastime, Father Mike will coordinate gifts for kids whose parents are incarcerated. As the New Year approaches, he convenes a citywide prayer walk on the streets of Irvington to remember those who have died by homicide and sound a desperate call for peace. Those in the community know him for his pastoral care to the elderly, the grieving and his neighbors on the margins. His commitment to all people within the community shines through his continuous, hard work that touches all aspects of life, from young people to faith to building a culture of peace.

Father Mike also leads Health by Southwest (HXSW), a new group of collaborative Catholic organizations working to improve social drivers of health in the area. HXSW comprises Southwest anchor institutions, such as Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital, Catholic Charities, Mount Saint Joseph High School, the Archdiocese of Baltimore and My Brother’s Keeper. These anchor institutions lead in service and community alongside Father Mike to improve safety, nutrition, education, transportation and other key influencers of our population’s health.

Charities provide lunch and job training at the Our Daily Bread Employment Center, where all Mount Saint Joseph High School freshmen complete a day of service. Meanwhile, My Brother’s Keeper provides support services for at-risk youth and substance abuse counseling, while Ascension Saint Agnes provides their Trusted Ride Program to transport older adults and those with disabilities to and from non-emergency medical appointments. Each HXSW organization made the 2023 Community Peacebuilding and Resource Fair a success — building peace from within the community,

Keep an eye on these peacemakers and health drivers as they continue their movement. Peace and prosperity won’t come in one fell swoop; it will be built, one gun at time, one education at a time, one act of service to our neighbors at a time.

Trevor Bonat is chief mission integration officer at Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital. William McCarthy is executive director at Catholic Charities of Baltimore. Kevin Mason is program director at My Brother’s Keeper.