Candlelight Vigil Honors 2008's 333 Homicide Victims
PHILADELPHIA (February 26, 2009) — Saint Joseph's University will hold its third annual candlelight vigil to remember the 333 victims of homicide in Philadelphia in 2008. The interdenominational service will be held Wed., March 4 at 7 p.m. in the Chapel of St. Joseph-Michael J. Smith, S.J., Memorial.
Speaking at the vigil will be Everett Gillison, deputy mayor of public safety, and Scott Charles, trauma outreach coordinator for Temple University Hospital and recipient of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Community Health Leaders Award. Elizabeth A. Linehan, RSM, professor of philosophy, will preside over the service. Family members and friends of the 333 victims are expected to be in attendance to hear the names of the fallen read aloud as candles are lit.
The vigil is sponsored by the Institute for Violence Research and Prevention (IVRP), Office of Institutional Diversity, Office of Mission, and the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. The IVRP brings an interdisciplinary approach to the study of violence in order to improve intervention and prevention efforts. The Institute seeks to foster partnerships with other Philadelphia and regional institutions, community groups and non-profit organizations with the goal of combining comprehensive research into all aspects of violent behavior with feasible programs to reduce and prevent violence.
"By bringing together the people who have been touched by violence — everyone from the families that have lost loved ones to the police patrolling the streets — we will raise awareness, and, ultimately, mobilize resources to help," said Maria Kefalas, Ph.D., director of the IVRP and associate professor of sociology.
Background: Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851, Saint Joseph's University advances the professional and personal ambitions of men and women by providing a demanding, yet supportive, educational experience. One of only 139 schools with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and AACSB business school accreditation, Saint Joseph's is home to 4,200 full-time undergraduates and 3,100 graduate, part-time and doctoral students. Steeped in the 450-year Jesuit tradition of scholarship and service, Saint Joseph's was recently named to the 2007 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for General Community Service. The University strives to be recognized as the preeminent Catholic comprehensive university in the Northeast.
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Contact: Kelly Welsh, Senior Associate Director of University Communications, 610-660-1385, kwelsh@sju.edu
