Yearly rally aims to stop fentanyl deaths

By New Outlook 

It is a rare occasion to see Bishop Edward Weisenburger not dressed in clerics, but it does happen. In 2021, Theresa Guerrero was shopping at Hobby Lobby when she noticed a tall man examining frames. Curious, she asked about the photos he had. “They’re from Italy,” he said. Guerrero asked him how he knew so much about Italy, “I’m the bishop for the Diocese of Tucson,” he told her nonchalantly. Guerrero, a Catholic, immediately felt out of sorts for not recognizing the local shepherd. After a short introduction, she asked the bishop if he might consider leading prayer for an upcoming rally calling attention to the deadly fentanyl epidemic. “He didn’t seem bothered,” she recalled. “He just told me to call his assistant and see about getting it on his calendar.” Four years later, Bishop Weisenburger still leads the opening prayer at the annual Association of People Against Lethal Drugs (APALD) in Tucson.  

Guerrero started thinking about the organization after her son Jacob died in 2020. Jacob was 31 years old when he took cocaine that was laced in fentanyl. Guerrero says her son wasn’t a drug addict when he was poisoned. Prior to his death, she said Jacob was a regular blood donor, hiker, and cyclist. Jacob, she said, couldn’t have donated blood regularly if he was using drugs. Guerrero said Jacob was struggling with Covid restrictions and the death of his grandmother when a friend introduced him to cocaine, “What drug dealers and cartels are doing is lacing the drug so users will become more addicted,” she said. For sale on social media platforms, cocaine is easily accessible, Guerrero said. She said though her son made a mistake, it’s one he should not have died from, nor should others, “They don’t know they’re taking this drug and another drug is in it.”  

In its fourth year, APALD tries to call attention to the deadly fentanyl epidemic. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2023 more than 112,000 Americans died after consuming fentanyl. Guerrero referred to the usage as an “epidemic of high proportion, this is something we all need to worry about.” Though Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid drug approved by the Federal Drug Administration for pain relief, Guerrero said everyone should take caution. “I had surgery on my ankle and the doctor gave me fentanyl. I cried because that’s the same drug that killed my boy. Yes, it helped but it was so painful to take it.”  

In the last four years, the Tucson mother has made it her mission to continue to ensure the local rally happens with leaders like Bishop Weisenburger, “to have him there gives everyone a sense of peace knowing that we have his support. There are people in the group who are not Catholic, but his presence makes people feel good. It’s a peaceful start to a peaceful rally.” 

Bishop’s Prayer: 

Loving God of all creation and redemption, pour fourth your holy and healing Spirit upon us. We ask that you empower us to be prophets in our world, speaking truth, justice, and compassion. Bring to a close the evil in our midst that is this fentanyl drug: it is murdering; it is taking our children and our loved ones. Breathe your powerful, prophetic Spirit on us that all the world may know the truth, and that this devastation will come to an end. We also ask that you ground down the grains of anger and hostility, and fashion them into the bread of goodness, truth, beauty, and love. We ask this in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.