pbmr, continued from page 8
walked alongside Cardinal Cupich and a community
of people. Young people, who, themselves, were vic-
tims of violence, joined their stories with the stories
of others. One child, only 10 years old, spoke of the
violence and how it had caused him so much fear and
pain. The silence of the moment was only broken by a
thunderous applause and words of support. The mes-
sage was clear: you are not alone.
Holy Saturday brought together mothers, grand-
mothers, sisters, girlfriends who, like Mary, had lost
a loved one to violence. Our community of men,
ministers, and children gathered with them, walking
and praying at places of violence and bloodshed. Our
youth, shared stories of their friends and support
persons gunned down right before their eyes. Even
after a year they still feel the loss, remembering the
moments, the sounds, the weeping. Every day they
live over and over Good Friday and Holy Saturday,
while hoping life will get better and they will come to
their Easter!
As we walked through the community and shared
our stories with one another, hope began to emerge
and overwhelm the violence of Good Friday. Stories
of triumph emerged amidst the tears. One mother
shared how she had been reborn; the death of her son
opened a new beginning for her as she turned away
from addiction and toward a God who was so very
close.
In her telling of her Good Friday story standing by
her son’s bloody body, covered in the white cloth, she
never neglects to tell the ending of her story—her
son’s death gave her new life.
Our final stop was at our Healing Fountain in our
Peace Garden. Father Denny blessed our new statue
of the Pieta and one of our local ministers closed
with a prayer for healing.
Easter Sunday Mass here at pbmr was filled with
friends and community members, young and old,
celebrating the gift of new life.
We know that Good Friday moments will continue,
but so too does the promise of the resurrection.
Violence will not have the final word.
Easter is among us. It may not come with the pag-
eantry of alleluias and shouts of joy, but can rather
be seen in the simple, and yet profound, recognition
that you are my brother or sister. W
12 • The New Wine Press • May 2017
Peace & Justice, continued from page 11
and Sensitivity is available June 13, 2017 in hard-
cover and eBook format. Fr. Martin can be found on
Facebook (FrJamesMartin) and Twitter
(@JamesMartinSJ). W
Leadership, continued from page 4
in our family ever had: ‘Could you just start at the
beginning and tell me everything?’ And he did.”
What Jessica learned in getting to the bottom of the
story that changed her brother’s life forever is what
I hope we are learning in this process of community
dialogue. Namely, that “asking and listening” are the
most valuable part of holding another’s story.
As Jesus did for those disciples on the road to
Emmaus, I pray we have the courage to do for one
another and for all those with whom we walk this
Easter way. By deeply listening to each other, by
taking the time to asking questions, by helping one
another articulate the stories that we are still miss-
ing in our common experience, perhaps we will one
day find the truth in our stories—even those that are
most difficult to hear and to carry. W
A Revolution of Reconciliation:
The Search for Common Ground
Contemporary Spirituality Speaker Series
Thursday,
May 4, 2017
7 – 9 p.m.
Avila University
Presenter:
Fr. Joe Nassal, c.pp.s.
For more information or to register, visit
contemporaryspirituality.eventbrite.com or
contact Mike Matteuzzi at 913-253-2510 or
Sister Audrey Doetzel at 816-868-3226.