On Thursday morning, November 1, the Georgetown Prep Community gathered in the Chapel of Our Lady to celebrate the Feast of All Saints and to begin our November commemoration of All Souls. Rev. James R. Van Dyke, S.J., Prep's president, offered the homily.
Special prayers were offered for our Jewish brothers and sisters whose lives were lost in the Tree of Life Synagogue Massacre, and for Vickie Lee Jones and Maurice Stallard, who were murdered in a racially-motivated incident in Louisville, Kentucky, as well an offering of the names of our deceased alumni, family members, and friends.
A special commissioning prayer was offered for the 20 members of our community who will be attending the Ignatian Family Teach-In this weekend. At the end of the liturgy and in conjunction with the Teach-In, Dr. Ramon Tusell of our Science and Mathematics Departments offered a reflection about the experience of his home country, El Salvador, through its long years of civil war and the implications of that sad history for our own vocation as a Jesuit Learning Community. Charlie Furlong '19, speaking on behalf of the Arrupe Society, opened this year's Food Drive efforts with a call to action on behalf of our less fortunate sisters and brothers.
The liturgy was accompanied by beautiful hymns and meditations led by our String Ensemble and A Cupola Hoyas, and concluded with a rousing rendition of "Lead Me, Lord."
Read Fr. Van Dyke's Homily and Dr. Tusell's Reflection.