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One month after 17 students and staff members died after a gunman stormed Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., students across the United States staged a National School Walkout to remember those killed and injured by bullets.
Catholic schools across the archdiocese participated in the national tribute at 10 a.m. March 14. CNY spoke to students and administrators at three Catholic high schools in the archdiocese in the two days that followed.
“The walkout played out beautifully here,” said Jack Raslowsky, president of Xavier High School in Manhattan.
The student-led demonstration memorialized the Parkland victims as well as all students, teachers and administrators who have fallen victim to school gun violence in recent years.
Held in front of the school on West 16th Street, the gathering included remarks via bullhorn about gun violence in schools, a reading of names of the Stoneman Douglas High shooting victims and a prayer, after which the assembly observed 17 minutes of silence.
“If silence can be loud, it was loud,” Raslowsky said of the hundreds of students, faculty and administrators who assembled outside the school. “The silence spoke volumes. You could hear, in some sense, the noise of the city beyond, but it never interfered with the silence. It was reverent, it was grace-filled. It really was very powerful…I was keenly aware of God’s presence during this time together. And my sense was, the students were, too…
“There were tears, certainly among a number of the adults, myself included, at various times,” said the president, particularly “when I was looking at the kids and thinking about their lives.”
Prayer, reflection and petitions followed the period of silence and concluded with the “Our Father.”
Devin On, a senior at Xavier, said the goal of the assembly “was to memorialize the victims.” The chairman of student activities on the student leadership council observed that “within the student body there was a sort of energy…it was like a turning point.”
A powerful moment for On was “the bystanders that were walking by and actually took the time to stop…and just wait there with us as we stayed in silence.”
Xavier students who chose not to participate in the 30-minute walkout period or preferred to show their support in different ways were provided opportunities and spaces for study, prayer and letter-writing of sympathy and support to the Stoneman Douglas High community as well as written correspondence to state and national legislators.
Mass was celebrated in the chapel after school.
“We took part because students wanted us to take part,” Raslowsky said. “It was important for us that this was a student-led activity. It was motivated by the desire of students. It was shaped by their interest.”
At Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Poughkeepsie, the Student Government Association held a 17-minute prayer service inside the school. The student government members put the program together and wrote the prayers.
Senior class president Brandon Hoolihan asked students to stand in class at 10 a.m. for 17 seconds of silence to remember the 17 victims at the Florida high school.
Joe Scaglione, vice president of the senior class, delivered the opening prayer he wrote.
“It is our responsibility to foster an environment that does not push people toward violence, but rather toward compassion, to hold politicians accountable for protecting our safety and our rights, and to become the next leaders of our country,” Scaglione said.
Nine student government members read the 17 prayer intentions that included a prayer and biographical information about each of the victims.
Hoolihan said, “Overall, the students were very receptive, and we were very happy it resonated well with the students.”
Lourdes Principal Catherine Merryman serves as the adviser to student government.
“They wrote a beautiful tribute to the victims, and the prayer intentions were so meaningful,” she said. “It was a real honor to watch the process. It really inspired me for the future of this country and the Church.”
At Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx, about 1,400 students—the entire student body—took part in the March 14 National Walkout. Among the lead organizers were students Likai Flemming, Kevin Agyapong and Isaac Yearwood. Ms. Flemming is student body president, and Agyapong is student body vice president.
“We felt it was very important for everyone to join in,” Agyapong told CNY, adding that he and other student organizers were inspired by the message from the national movement—something needs to be done now.
“Enough is enough—we all felt that this was of the utmost importance,” Yearwood said. “And we all realized that there was a tragic event felt by the entire nation. We have a responsibility. If we keep waiting for change, that change will never happen.”
Collin Smith, Spellman’s assistant principal for student affairs, said, “It was one of the most touching experiences I’ve ever had here at Cardinal Spellman. You could not see a dry eye any place. The kids did so well; it was a student-run event.”
Kyle O’Donnell, assistant principal of academics, added, “It was just amazing to see how the kids rose to the occasion. Everyone worked together to help bring awareness to gun violence. It was great to see the school community embrace (the National School Walkout).
“They did it the Spellman way, in a very respectful way.”
Smith said the morning started with prayer over the intercom system as students were in their classrooms. Father Luke Leighton, C.F.R., who assists at the school, led the prayer. An orderly walkout followed at 10 a.m., with respectful silence around the perimeter of the Spellman campus. Some carried signs related to the Parkland tragedy. The students then walked into the gym for the rally, during which the names of the 17 Parkland murder victims were read, with short biographical information about each.
Because Spellman is a Catholic school, Smith said, prayer was a significant component.
The gym gathering ended with a closing prayer led by Father Peter Pilsner, the school chaplain. Smith said the opening, intercom prayer by Father Leighton “set the tone; it was very important.” He said the closing gym prayer from Father Pilsner was very moving as well.
Contributing to this story were Christie L. Chicoine, Dan Pietrafesa and Armando Machado.
