Students gathered around the peace pole in solidarity
Members of the St. Bonaventure community gathered around the McGinley-Carney Center for Franciscan Ministry peace pole Tuesday morning to remember the victims of the Oct. 27 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.
On the morning of Oct. 27, a man went into the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and began firing an assault rifle. He killed 11 people and injured six others. The gunman was specifically targeting Jews.
At the ceremony, SBU students held Star of David-shaped signs with the name of a victim on each. The students then read a tribute passage aloud for each victim.
Fr. Francis DiSpigno, O.F.M., and the executive director of University Ministries, addressed SBU students, faculty and staff in a moment of prayer.
“Members of our family were massacred while they were praying,” DiSpigno said. “So, we join our prayer with that community and with our world in the hope that this will never happen again. We stand here as witnesses of peace.”
At the end of the tribute, those gathered joined Parker Suddeth, director of St. Bonaventure’s Damietta Center for Multicultural Student Affairs, in an a cappella rendition of Bill Withers’ hit song, “Lean on Me.”
On Monday afternoon, St. Bonaventure President Dennis DePerro issued a message to the university as a response to the event.
In his message, DePerro referred to the shooting as a “tragedy,” and described some of the university’s ties to Pittsburgh.
“It is important for us as a university to recognize this horrible tragedy and be clear about our sympathy,” DePerro said in an interview Tuesday. “This activity that is clearly a form of religious discrimination that is totally unacceptable anywhere.”
DePerro said the university community should look to the teachings of Franciscans when responding to an event like this.
“We need to respect everyone, and that is central to our Franciscan beliefs of having a love for all of our brothers and sisters,” DePerro said. “I think it sends a message to all of us that the world needs to change.”
Fr. Michael Calabria, O.F.M., Ph.D, also talked about learning from Franciscan principles and called the university community to become educated about the issue.
“We have to learn from the teachings of Franciscans that everything God creates reflects the divine in some way,” Calabria said. “If someone is created by God, they bear God’s presence.”
Awareness about this type of tragedy, Calabria said, is important no matter who you are.
“This is such a serious issue,” Calabria said. “It affects all of us when anyone is targeted in this country on the basis of their culture, ethnicity or religion. Whatever reason for the hate, we must all stand in solidarity against it.”
DePerro said he will be sending a letter of condolence to the Tree of Life synagogue and Rabbi Jeffrey Myers. Members of the St. Bonaventure community can write a brief note at stations around campus if they would like to show their support. The notes will accompany DePerro’s letter to Rabbi Myers.
The notes and letter will be collected Nov. 2.
By Jeffery Uveino, Staff Writer
uveinojj17@bonaventure.edu
