The Archdiocese of Baltimore will host its annual gun buyback event Aug. 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Westside Shopping Center, 2413 Frederick Ave., Baltimore.
Donors will receive funds for up to two guns surrendered, though individuals may donate as many weapons as they want. A total of 1,056 guns were collected over the past three years and more than $220,000 has been raised from Catholic parishes and individual donors for the buybacks.
Surplus funds raised from the gun buyback program will be donated to the archdiocese’s grief ministry, which aids families affected by violence with burial costs and other critical needs.
The main goal, according to Father Mike Murphy, pastor of Our Lady of Victory in Arbutus and St. Joseph’s Monastery in Irvington, is to show that “life is sacred” and that “there are better ways to handle conflict.”
All guns, he said, are given voluntarily, getting weapons out of homes and off streets.
“We are not taking anybody’s rights away,” Father Murphy said. “At the core, we are building a world of peace.”
During the buyback, a community fair is also planned at the park across from Westside Shopping Center. Free hot dogs and hamburgers, along with care packages filled with diapers and toiletries, will be available, Father Murphy said. Catholic Charities will provide Narcan kits – used to quickly counteract an opioid overdose) – and Head Start kits.
In a letter to pastors, Archbishop William E. Lori asked for their support for the outreach effort and encouraged them to allocate poor box collections to the effort or to invite parishioners to donate.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore is working in partnership with Health by Southwest, a coalition of faith leaders and health providers that promote healthy communities and positive determinants of health in Southwest Baltimore. Health by Southwest members include Catholic Charities, Mount St. Joseph High School, My Brother’s Keeper, Ascension St. Agnes Hospital and Our Lady of Victory Parish.
In 2025, 610 people died in Maryland in incidents involving firearms, including 276 homicides and 322 suicides, according to state Department of Health data.
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