Prayer service will unite all 28 Jesuit schools in reflection
By Jack Gillum
Members of the Santa Clara community will gather in prayer with other universities nationwide in light of a potential U.S. military strike in Iraq.
The interfaith prayer service, hosted by Campus Ministry, is keyed to a "coordinated day of action" with other U.S. Jesuit schools in remembrance of war victims, according to Jake David, the head of the Santa Clarans for Social Justice (SCSJ).
The service begins today at 4:30 p.m. in the Mission Church, with statements from university President Paul Locatelli, S.J., Associate Vice Provost Diane Jonte-Pace and some Santa Clara students. The traditional daily noon mass will also be connected to events of the day.
All of the 28 Jesuit schools in the country will host or plan similar events today, according to the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU). At Loyola University in New Orleans, for example, a "Speak Your Piece for Peace" gathering will provide reflection and a similar forum of discussion. This afternoon's services at Santa Clara will touch on war victims and a solution to prevent rising tensions in a potential U.S. military campaign in Iraq.
"Jesuit colleges and universities will debate the issues in search of truth and justice and appropriate action while we pray that, even at this late hour, a peaceful resolution may be found," said Locatelli.
Following the service, event coordinators will hold a candlelight vigil on the lawn across from the Mission Church, where a forum will allow those to share thoughts on a potential Middle East conflict.
In the Benson Center, a memorial wall will be erected this morning for passers-by to leave flowers and other mementos of remembrance for war victims, said David.
In a broader context, other Catholic institutions have addressed war and a potential Iraq conflict in particular. Recently, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops addressed the need for protection yet erred of the side of caution.
"The United States and the international community have two grave moral obligations: to protect the common good against any Iraqi threats to peace and to do so in a way that conforms with fundamental moral norms," the bishops wrote in a letter to President George W. Bush one year after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
With Washington's hard-lined stance against Saddam Hussein to disable his weapons of mass destruction, the president has repeatedly stated he would lead a "coalition of the willing" to disarm the Iraqi leader.
Santa Clara prayer services with a nexus on world conflicts are not uncommon in recent years. Following the Sept. 11 attacks, for instance, there were "Prayers for Peace" on the date of the events in New York and Washington, with a similar service days later.
David also encourages attendance at an upcoming anti-war rally Feb. 15 in downtown San Jose.
This past December, the city's Federal Building was the site of several Santa Clara students that partook in a five-day fast in protest of U.S. military action against Saddam.
Today's service also coincides with other campus awareness activities on Iraq. A film, sponsored by the Arab Culture Society and the Muslim Student Association, documents a recent visit to Iraq by two members of Congress. It begins at 7 p.m. in the Shapell Lounge.