SJC Long Island students, faculty and staff came together for Ash Wednesday Mass, hosted by Campus Ministry on Wednesday, March 2, during common hour. Following Mass, attendees joined together to read prayers for Ukraine.
“With anything, this offers the opportunity to go to Christ and to go to the Lord and be in community,” Cristian Murphy ’14, director of Campus Ministry, said. “I think this (Mass) is a really wonderful opportunity for us all to feel that family dynamic.”
The reading of prayers for Ukraine was live-streamed to Campus Ministry’s YouTube channel for those who couldn’t join in person.
Watch: You can click here to see the video.
“This is a very, very powerful Ash Wednesday because Pope Francis has asked Catholic Christians around the world to begin their Lenten journey in solidarity with the people of Ukraine,” Father Francis Pizzarelli, S.M.M., DCSW, said. “Pray for them, pray for peace, pray for those families that have lost loved ones senselessly because of violence and hate.
“We pray on this Ash Wednesday,” Fr. Frank continued, “that we will open our hearts to embrace that call to change and transformation. That we will have the eyes to see and the ears to hear, so that we can help to make this world a better place through Christ, our Lord.”
Murphy reminded the SJC community that anyone in need of spiritual guidance during these challenging times can reach out to Campus Ministry.
