Missioner Profile: The Rev. Mary Haggerty

The Rev. Mary Haggerty is on a mission to raise awareness and help bring an end to gun violence in our communities.

Mary is the Missioner for Gun Violence Prevention in the Diocese of Missouri. She was ordained a priest in July of 2020 (in the middle of the pandemic) and now serves as the Interim Associate Priest at Grace Episcopal Church in Kirkwood. She lives in the St. Louis suburb of Richmond Heights with her husband, Bill. The couple has four grown children and six grandchildren.

"My children went to school in the town next to Columbine and were on lockdown that day," Mary said. "I will never forget visiting the memorial at a park near Columbine High School just after the shooting. That was an anomaly. How can we accept that school shootings are now just a part of life in the U.S.? I can't. And so I work for change and pray for peace."

On March 7, 2023, Mary led a group of concerned members to Jefferson City to lobby for common sense gun laws. We took this opportunity to learn more about Mary and what motivates her in her ministry.

Watch the video below to hear Mary's story.