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Today October 12th is the 20th Anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard. His ashes will be interred in the National Episcopal Cathedral in Washington DC.
The Passion of Matthew Shepard
The entrapment and murder of the 24-year-old gay man, Matthew Shepard, in Laramie, Wyoming on October 7, 1998 truly shocked the world. The Resurrection part of this boy’s brutal beating and crucifixion on a deer fence, is that it brought about a conversation in the minds and hearts of many people who were unaware of the violence and prejudice that most LGBTQ people live with as a part of daily life. October 7 is a feast of Our Blessed Mother. In Catholic symbolism Mary is the Moon, the reflected light of the Son. I placed Mary in the sky when I heard that Matthew’s mother, Judy Shepard, hoped he did not die alone. This image is dedicated to the memory of the thousands of LGBTQ youth who commit suicide each year and to the countless others who are injured or murdered. Maryknoll Magazine commissioned this image as part of a Lenten issue on contemporary passions of people all over the world.
– Fr. Bill McNichols
