UD holds candlelight vigil for Katrina victims

Sitting on the lawn near Memorial Hall under a clear, moonlit sky, the University community listened to prayers and readings by UD religious leaders and music by the Deltones and then held flickering candles in solemn silence before Hilary Booker sang “Go Light Your World.”

“As we offer our support to the victims of Hurricane Katrina we also remember that we are gathering this evening the day after the anniversary of Sept. 11,” Kimberly Zitzner, a chaplain from the Thomas More Oratory, the Catholic ministry on campus, said. “We include in our thoughts those who continue to suffer from the events of that day. May all those who suffer continue their journey of healing and hope.”

The vigil included a reflection led by Father Michael Szupper of the Catholic campus ministry; a Buddhist teaching read by Pastor Bruce Heggen of the Lutheran Campus Minstry, a reading by Sarah Petersen, faculty adviser for the Baha’i Group; a scripture reading by the Rev. Donna McNiel of the Episcopal Campus Ministry; a reading from the Quran by S. Ismat Shah of the Muslim Student Association; and a Jewish reflection by Rabbi Eliezer Sneiderman of Chabad Center for Jewish Life.

Szupper spoke of talking at the Oratory to a student in the Delaware National Guard who recently returned from a rescue operation in Mississippi. The student spoke of the people he had seen, their hurt and their devastation, and said he hoped his unit would be called back soon since there is so much to be done. "His military unit brought supplies and participated in rescue operations," Szupper said. "But this student, this dedicated young man and his unit, also brought a promise. A promise first made in the Old Testament—by the prophet Isaiah...: 'I will never forget you..., I can never forget you. I have written your name on the palms of my hands.'"

Heggen read,
"Coming empty-handed, going empty-handed--that is human.
When you are born, where do you come from?
When you die, where do you go?
Life is like a floating cloud which appears.
Death is like a floating cloud which disappears.
The floating cloud itself originally does not exist.
Life and death, coming and going, are also like this.
But there is one thing which always remains clear.
It is pure and clear, not depending on life and death.
What is that one pure and clear thing?"

Petersen's reading included, "Lift up your hearts above the present and look with eyes of faith into the future! Today the seed is sown, the grain falls upon the earth, but behold the day will come when it shall rise a glorious tree and the branches thereof shall be laden with fruit. Rejoice and be glad that this day has dawned, try to realize its power, for it is indeed wonderful!"

McNiel read from the Book of Romans, "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, not life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any thing else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God."

Shah read from the Quran, first in Arabic and then in English,
"In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
When the Earth is shaken to her (utmost) convulsion,
And the Earth throws up her burdens (from within),
And man cries (distressed): 'What is the matter with her?'
On that Day will she declare her tidings:
For that thy Lord will have given her inspiration.
On that Day will men proceed in companies sorted out, to be shown the deeds that they (had done).
Then shall anyone who has done an atom's weight of good, see it!
And anyone who has done an atom's weight of evil, shall see it."

Sneiderman said, "As a member of the clergy, one of the first questions that I am confronted with after a tragedy of this nature is, 'How could God let this happen? Why, if God is good, is there evil in the world?' The theological answer is easy. A hurricane is not evil. It is an essential part of our ecosystem, part of the natural rhythm that maintains life on this planet. Hurricanes transfer moisture and heat from the tropics to the temperate regions. Without them, the world would be a colder, drier place and it would be difficult for life as we know it to flourish. The wind and rain itself are not evil. The tragedy is that we were standing in its way."

Calling consolation "a search for meaning," he quoted a colleague, Rabbi Jacobson, who wrote in a recent article about the hurricane: “In an imperfect word like ours, it is not realistic to expect that we will only have perfect moments. Life is filled with challenges. Difficult moments come our way as much, if not more than beautiful experiences. The real challenge if life is not to avoid or ignore the harder times, but to know what to do with them.”

Sneiderman said the devastation of Hurricane Katrina has led to an outpouring of kindness for the victims. He gave several examples, including houses of worship have become homes for displaced families, a Florida horseracing tycoon who is housing 200 people on his property and has plans to build homes for them on 1,000 acres in Louisiana, and two young girls in Missouri who canceled their family’s vacation to Disney World and donated the money to help relief efforts.

“The idea that we are all one nation, all responsible for one another, has never been more evident,” Sneiderman said. “If there is a lesson to take from this event, something to be learned from this tragedy, it must be that we will no longer wait for a calamity to care about our neighbors. Poverty in New Orleans was over 40 percent before the hurricane. Dire need existed before the water poured in, and it exists in communities across the nation that are not waist-deep in water. We are responsible for one another.”

As the vigil concluded, Zitzner said, "We come together this evening as a community to support the victims of Hurricane Katrina, those who lost their lives, those who lost their homes and those clinging on to hope. We gather to be a support to those who mourn, to those who weep, to those who have a long road to travel as they begin to rebuild their lives with hope for the future. We also gather the day after a tragedy that still affects many. We gather to invite healing and hope.

"As we gather. we recognize that we are connected as a human family, here and throughout the world. We gather together to bring light into darkness," she said, just before the candles participants had been given were lit.

"Light has significance in all religions and for all people. It signifies hope, brings light and warmth into dark, cold places, and dispels darkness.

"Let us bring this light into the darkness that many feel this day. May it dispel the doubts held in many hearts and bring light, hope and healing to all those affected by Hurricane Katrina," Zitzner said.

Alix Terpos, a senior exercise physiology and biology major, said news of the devastation caused by the hurricane and the suffering of the victims compelled her to attend the vigil.

“I get so caught up in my own education, and I felt that I have been selfish at times,” Terpos said. “I read about the disaster, and I realized that those people out there need more than I do, and praying for them is all I can do. I don’t have a lot of money. It’s not completely fulfilling, but it’s the least that I can do.”

Kevin Camponeschi, a senior engineering major, said the 9/11 terrorist attack and Hurricane Katrina are two major and deadly events whose victims should never be forgotten.

Jimmy, 9, from Landenberg, Pa., said he hoped that the vigil would encourage donations and more prayers.

“It’s easy for everyone to not acknowledge what’s going on because it's so far away,” Keondia Midgette, a sophomore criminal justice major, said at the vigil. “We need to acknowledge that there is suffering. We are all in this together as the United States.”

Zitzner concluded the vigil with an announcement about “Giving on The Green,” set for 3-5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 16, on the North Green. The event will raise funds and inspire friendly competition among Registered Student Organizations, residential complexes and fraternities and sororities.

Participating groups will be assigned a table and a bucket for collecting donations on The Green. The group that raises the most money will win a pizza party, donated by ARAMARK, and will be recognized on UDaily and in The Review.

Article by Martin Mbugua
Photos by Duane Perry

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