After shooting, St. James parishioners seek peace

Faith • In reparation ceremony, parish rejects vengeance and prays for healing.

Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune
Robin Callon is helped down a rock embankment during a procession outside of St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. The Rev. Erik Richtsteig led a procession around the building and sanctuary while reciting prayers to cleanse the building.

Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune
The Rev. Erik Richtsteig, center, leads parishioners in a procession around St. James the Just Catholic Church iThe ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. Richtsteig led a procession around the building and sanctuary while reciting prayers to cleanse the building.

Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune
The Rev. Erik Richtsteig, center, gathers parishioners outside St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden to begin a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. Richtsteig led a procession around the building and sanctuary while reciting prayers to cleanse the building.

Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune
The Rev. Erik Richtsteig, right front, leads a procession around St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday.

Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune
The Rev. Erik Richtsteig speaks to parishioners outside St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden before a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday.

Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune
The Rev. Erik Richtsteig kneels at the alter during a procession at St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. Richtsteig led a procession around the building and sanctuary while reciting prayers to cleanse the building.

Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune
Tara Evans helps her grandson Philip Jennings down a rock embankment during a procession outside St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday.

Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune
Parishioners process around St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. The Rev. Erik Richtsteig led a procession around the building and sanctuary while reciting prayers to cleanse the building.

Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune
The Rev. Erik Richtsteig, right, leads a procession around St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday.

Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune
Sandy Conway holds a rosary during a procession outside St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. The Rev. Erik Richtsteig led a procession around the building and sanctuary while reciting prayers to cleanse the building.

Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune
Tara Evans, left, hugs Maria Baca inside St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden before a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday.

Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune
Kathy Phillips, center, watches as (not pictured) the Rev. Erik Richtsteig leads a procession around St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday.

Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune
The Rev. Erik Richtsteig, right, leads a procession around the inside of St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. Richtsteig led a procession around the building and sanctuary while reciting prayers to cleanse the building.

Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune
The Rev. Erik Richtsteig, left, leads parishioners in a procession around St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. Richtsteig led a procession around the building and sanctuary while reciting prayers to cleanse the building.

Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune
Alice Weil, left, prays at St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on Thursday. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during a church service last Sunday.

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Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune Robin Callon is helped down a rock embankment during a procession outside of St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. The Rev. Erik Richtsteig led a procession around the building and sanctuary while reciting prayers to cleanse the building. Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune The Rev. Erik Richtsteig, center, leads parishioners in a procession around St. James the Just Catholic Church iThe ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. Richtsteig led a procession around the building and sanctuary while reciting prayers to cleanse the building. Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune The Rev. Erik Richtsteig, center, gathers parishioners outside St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden to begin a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. Richtsteig led a procession around the building and sanctuary while reciting prayers to cleanse the building. Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune The Rev. Erik Richtsteig, right front, leads a procession around St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune The Rev. Erik Richtsteig speaks to parishioners outside St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden before a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune The Rev. Erik Richtsteig kneels at the alter during a procession at St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. Richtsteig led a procession around the building and sanctuary while reciting prayers to cleanse the building. Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune Tara Evans helps her grandson Philip Jennings down a rock embankment during a procession outside St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune Parishioners process around St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. The Rev. Erik Richtsteig led a procession around the building and sanctuary while reciting prayers to cleanse the building. Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune The Rev. Erik Richtsteig, right, leads a procession around St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune Sandy Conway holds a rosary during a procession outside St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. The Rev. Erik Richtsteig led a procession around the building and sanctuary while reciting prayers to cleanse the building. Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune Tara Evans, left, hugs Maria Baca inside St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden before a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune Kathy Phillips, center, watches as (not pictured) the Rev. Erik Richtsteig leads a procession around St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune The Rev. Erik Richtsteig, right, leads a procession around the inside of St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. Richtsteig led a procession around the building and sanctuary while reciting prayers to cleanse the building. Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune The Rev. Erik Richtsteig, left, leads parishioners in a procession around St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on June 20, 2013. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during Mass on Sunday. Richtsteig led a procession around the building and sanctuary while reciting prayers to cleanse the building. Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune Alice Weil, left, prays at St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden during a Mass of Reparation ceremony on Thursday. The ceremony was scheduled to cleanse the church after James Evans was allegedly shot by his son-in-law Charles Richard Jennings Jr. during a church service last Sunday.

By Leann Burke The Salt Lake Tribune

· June 24, 2013 2:09 pm

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Ogden • Almost 200 parishioners followed the Rev. Erik Richtsteig through the brush around St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden on Thursday evening for a Liturgy of Reparation, a ceremony of healing in the aftermath of Sunday's shooting during Mass that left 66-year-old James Evans severely wounded.

"It is to atone for the damage one of our brothers [alleged shooter Charles Jennings] did in God's house," Richtsteig said. "This is an act of prayer. It's focusing far more on God than on us."

Although Jennings is not a Catholic, Richtsteig explained, he is "still one of our brothers in humanity," and Richtsteig asked those in attendance to pray for Jennings before beginning the ritual.

"We're not going to let the devil turn us away from who Jesus calls us to be," Richtsteig said.

Inside the church, parishioners' voices joined together in prayer as they recited the Liturgy of the Saints, the phrases "Pray for us" and "Deliver us" echoing off the walls as the congregation asked the saints and angels to pray for them and their church. After the prayers, Richtsteig again spoke.

He encouraged the congregation to look back at the Bible verses that teach forgiveness in place of vengeance.

"The evil that happened here can end today," he said, "if we can forgive."

Before the ceremony, Tara Evans, James Evans' wife, greeted her fellow parishioners, embracing them and thanking them for their prayers. She expects her husband to be released from the hospital within the next couple days.

James Evans suffered no brain damage but will have a long recovery at home once he is released.

"Everyone coming together and praying is a release," Evans said. "It says we aren't going to let evil win.

"I'm sitting in the back where we were sitting [when the shooting occurred]," she added. "I'm not going to let evil chase me out of my seat either."

The congregants remained inside the nave after Richtsteig left to sing "Lift High the Cross," a final testament to their refusal to be chased away from their faith.