This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

CHICAGO — Roughly 200 worshippers gathered at Oakwood Beach early Saturday for the 9th annual Sunrise Prayer Service and Mass for Nonviolence and Peace.

The sunrise mass, which started about 6:30 a.m., was hosted by the Black Catholic Deacons of the Archdiocese of Chicago. The goal: to pray away the city's gun violence.

"I get so tired of hearing gun deaths are down when you got all these hundreds of people getting killed," said Leroy Gill, a deacon at St. Dorothy Catholic Church. "You're supposed to get excited because it's down by five percent. It's a problem."

Parishioners from across the diocese joined people of other denominations for a 90-minute service that include a choir, praise dancers and communion.

"Our children, our grandchildren ... [the] next generation — they are hurting," said Bobbie Shepherd, who attended the mass. "They’re saying it. And its obvious with their actions."

41.82089 -87.596333