PROVIDENCE — When shots rang out at Brown University last December, the immediate reaction for students was to find cover. But in the days that followed the deaths of Brown University students Ella Cook, 19, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, that instinct shifted from seeking cover to seeking Christ. Today, the pews at the Brown-RISD Catholic Community (BRCC) are fuller than ever, as Catholics and non-Catholics alike search for meaning and a sense of “unity in the mourning”—a grace that chaplain Father Justin Bolger, OP, says has become the cornerstone of the campus’s recovery.
The shocking and tragic events that took place on the evening of December 13 at Brown University have continued to greatly affect the Rhode Island community, as well as students across the country. Due to the violent acts of Claudio Neves Valente, 48, Cook and Umurzokov lost their lives, and 9 other students were injured. The gunmen also took the life of MIT professor Nuno Loureiro two days after the attack, before committing suicide.
Father Bolger recalled ministering to panicked students. When asked where he felt Jesus was in this horrible moment, he responded, “I definitely felt just that the Holy Spirit was with me as I ministered to folks in need.” Father Bolger and students alike have been able to better grieve this incident through their confidence in the saving power of Jesus; they feel that Christ has never left them despite the cruelty of that night.
It has been over two months since these tragic events, and many in the community feel like it was yesterday, while others found great comfort in getting back to school, seeing their friends, and getting back to their studies.
“I think a lot of the students were happy to see one another, to see their friends, to begin their studies again. Maybe I was a little bit surprised about that, that we just kind of got right back into it,” explained Father Bolger.
The chaplain explained how he has noticed that Mass attendance has increased since the tragedy, noting the importance of leaning on community in these trying times and how the power of prayer has been incredibly healing. He said the greatest strategy to get through was to continue Mass as usual.
The day following the shooting, Mass was held at the BRCC.
“There were a lot of people who came, because people wanted to get together, and lots of non-Catholics. Again, because people wanted to be together, to pray.”
Father Bolger points out the deep unity felt in those days of prayer, Mass, and mourning together, for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
“They can follow along with them, sitting and kneeling. They can listen to scripture and be edified by the word of God by preaching. There are candles, there’s incense, there’s bells, it’s beautiful.”
Students continue to come to the BRCC seeking sacraments, community, and asking “the big questions.”
“Some people I met directly in the aftermath have continued to come to the Catholic center, to Masses, and became more interested in the faith. People are asking big questions, the odyssey questions: ‘Why do bad things happen in light of an all-good God?’ Those questions are still happening on campus, and I imagine they’ll continue to.”
The BRCC, Father Bolger, and Ella’s family all share the same desire — that people know that Ella was a faithful Christian who fully believed in the Resurrection. She also participated in Bible study, was active in the Pro-Life organization on campus, and, with a kind demeanor, was not afraid for people to know her beliefs and faith in Jesus.
“She liked the Mass. She liked the reverence of the Mass,” said Father Bolger, adding that Ella’s faith has been a light in the darkness for many.
The Brown-RISD Catholic Community serves the students of Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design. Their purpose is to offer students opportunities to encounter Jesus Christ and to broaden their appreciation of their Catholic faith. Weekly Meeting Times: Sundays: 10:30 am and 8:30 pm; Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday: 12:05 pm, with Holy Hour and confessions Monday and Thursday from 10:45 – 11:45am.; Wednesday: 7:30pm, with Holy Hour and confessions from 6:15 – 7:15pm. Sunday Masses held in Manning Chapel. Weekday Masses held at the Brown-RISD Catholic Center Chapel at 51 Prospect St.
