A Time for Mourning, Reflection, and Action

Dear Saint Mary’s Community,

The horrific murders in Buffalo are a stark reminder that the scourge of anti-black racism continues to plague our society. We must each examine our hearts and minds and reflect on what we can do in the world and here at Saint Mary’s to address structural racism and make a more equitable society. Respect for all people is at the heart of our Lasallian core values, and we must act on that principle every day so that all of our community members may feel a sense of belonging and of being valued. 

I understand the deep emotions and feelings this incident has surfaced and would encourage any of our students, faculty, or staff who have been affected by the situation to draw on the resources we provide, including our  Counseling & Psychological Services, the Mission & Ministry Center, and Employment Assistance Program. Additionally, the Saint Mary’s community is invited to attend tonight’s Student Community Liturgy in the Chapel beginning at 8 p.m.

At Saint Mary’s College, we are committed to creating a community based on dignity, courtesy, and respect; a society where everyone can be themselves and flourish. Now, more than ever, we must find strength in those principles.

We will continue to use our community’s strength to help create a better world by ensuring our voices are heard and by preparing our students to engage in anti-racist practices that actively challenge the systems, structures, and policies of racism. 

We are resolute: racism and discrimination have no place in our modern society.
 
We pray for those who are mourning.

When our eyes do not see the gravity of racial injustice,
Shake us from our slumber and open our eyes, O Lord.
When out of fear we are frozen into inaction,
Give us a spirit of bravery, O Lord.
When we try our best but say the wrong things,
Give us a spirit of humility, O Lord.
When the chaos of this dies down,
Give us a lasting spirit of solidarity, O Lord.
When it becomes easier to point fingers outward,
Help us to examine our own hearts, O Lord.

Ever present God, you called us to be in relationship with one another and promised to dwell wherever two or three are gathered. In our community, we are many different people; we come from many different places, have many different cultures. Open our hearts that we may be bold in finding the riches of inclusion and the treasures of diversity among us. We pray in faith.

- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Saint John Baptist de La Salle, pray for us.

Richard Plumb, PhD
President