We are all in shock. A mass shooting event has happened here in Rhode Island, on the campus of Brown University. It’s something we feared but hoped would never happen.

We are devastated by the loss of the inspiring lives cut short. We pray for the members of the Brown community who were wounded, for those who have been harmed, and for the whole school community as they live into the nightmare of these days.

And yet like others, I have been inspired by the courage and mutual support shown by the students, staff, and faculty.

In moments like this, when the light can feel far away, it is the love and care shown in response to senseless violence that shines most clearly. That love becomes a beacon, illuminating all of us with a quiet but powerful grace. It reminds us that even the deepest shadows cannot endure when just a single candle is lit.

We ask God to receive the lives that have been lost, to tend those who are wounded in body and spirit, and to hold close all who are grieving. We pray as well that God would make us lights to one another; that through small acts of love, patience, and care, we may bear witness to hope even in the face of what harms and destroys. In such faithfulness, the darkness does not have the final word.

+Nicholas
Bishop of Rhode Island