University president Fr. Robert Dowd and assistant vice president for Campus Ministry Fr. Pete McCormick hosted a prayer service at Our Lady of The Lake Peace Plaza.
After an opening prayer and hymn, President Dowd read from 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 before praying over the student body. “We come together after a hotly contested election across many differences, and we pray for peace: peace in our hearts, peace in our minds as well as peace in our country,” Dowd said.
Dowd also prayed for unity and friendship. “We pray that we might have the courage to be bridge builders, each in our own way, and that our community, our country and our world be brought together in a greater sense of unity and communion,” Dowd said.
Dowd reflected on what unity and bridge building looks like in a divided political climate. First, he acknowledged that working in unity is difficult, and that total agreement is not the goal. Instead, he called for students to find common ground in service to the common good. “Let us commit ourselves to a new work of bridge building,” Dowd said.
Students found Dowd’s push for unity hopeful. Disheartened by the division on campus, freshman Connor Savage attended the prayer service to hear an optimistic message.
“There's a lot of divisive rhetoric … and a big divide. What this prayer service was nailing home was that God unites us. As a community, we need to practice peace together and love together instead of division,” Savage said.
While Dowd pushed for unity, he also reminded students to celebrate their differences.
“It’s a gift to live in this pluralistic society where social, cultural and yes, political differences abound." Dowd said. "While our differences can cause challenges at times, they also fuel amazing creativity and innovation and vibrancy. Perhaps most importantly, these differences reflect the wonder of God’s creation."
The prayer service offered students a place where they could respect each other's differences without judgement. Sophomore Olivia Antolak appreciated the safe space the service provided.
“Regardless of who you voted for, I think we all want America to be the best it came be. Coming here is a good way to reach out a hand and know that no one is judgmental of each other. We all want the best for each other,” Antolak said.
Finally, Dowd reminded students that above all else, our identity as children of God transcended our differences.
“Let us commit ourselves to treating each other as such with the respect and dignity that is due to every person as a creature of God," Dowd said. "Let us commit ourselves to working tirelessly as so many have gone before us in service of our nation and its highest ideals. Let’s commit to being bridge builders in the truest sense of the word. Let us ask for God’s grace for us to be the Notre Dame the world needs."
