Saturday, Jan. 21, was my birthday. As it was on the eve of Lunar New Year, it was fitting to celebrate another year of my life with family. Three generations of us talked about how we would begin this new cycle manifesting health, abundance, and ancestral ways of well-being. The celebration was cut short, however, as news emerged of a mass shooting in nearby Monterey Park where many Asian Americans were also celebrating another year of life, family, and tradition.
I am utterly devastated and heartbroken by this senseless violence. It hits especially close to home, as an Asian American woman. I grieve and pray with our collective communities for solace and healing. But our Catholic social teaching, grounded in our Jesuit and Marymount traditions call on us to not only respect life, but to act in moments of injustice. We cannot be a community of faith without works. Our prayers must be followed by action. I urge our elected leaders to act to prevent future incidents of mass violence which have become all too familiar in recent years. We must all move to confront the ways targeted lives are marginalized and treated as disposable. No community should fear celebrating life and gathering with friends and family.
For those in the Lion family who seek support:
- Community of Care – communityofcare@lmu.edu (students)
- Campus Ministry – ministry@lmu.edu (students)
- Student Psychological Services – 310.338.2868 (students)
- TimelyCare (students)
- Asian Pacific Student Services – apss@lmu.edu (students)
- Office for International Students and Scholars – OISS@lmu.edu (students)
- Center for Ignatian Spirituality – ignacio@lmu.edu (faculty and staff)
- Employee Assistance Program – (faculty and staff)
- Human Resources – hr@lmu.edu (faculty and staff)
Additionally, the Asian American and Pacific Islander Faculty Staff Association will be holding a Community Healing Space on Jan. 25 from 1 to 2 p.m. Please contact aapifsa@lmu.edu to receive the Zoom link.