5 Minutes for Paris

Photograph by: Leon Nguyen

A brief ceremony was held on campus to remember the victims of the Paris attacks and those left to deal with the pain of those events.

The campus community came together to show solidarity for all the lives lost or forever changed after the attacks that left 129 people dead and more than 350 injured.

French and American flags blew in the wind as Director of Campus Ministry and Outreach Father John McDonagh led all those gathered in prayer and reflection. Fr. John said that the ceremony offered a chance to pray – no matter what one’s religion – for the families, the victims, and those left to pick up the pieces and to “remind ourselves and give us strength not to live in fear, but in trust.”

The vigil concluded with a brief ceremony that encouraged students to stay united in difficult times and never let acts of terror define their view of the world.

A number of students shared their heartfelt sentiment but none more poignantly than one French student who wrote, “I am heartbroken knowing this can happen today still and anywhere. I still believe and hope that tomorrow will be better.”

Additional thoughts of students can be found in local media coverage of the ceremony online at:

http://wwlp.com/2015/11/17/paris-attack-victims-honored-at-aic/ and http://www.westernmassnews.com/story/30541854/aic-pays-tribute-to-paris-attack-victims