PROVIDENCE — The violence that erupted at the Brown University’s campus on Dec. 13 was more than a national headline; it was a deeply personal tragedy that struck at the heart of the Providence community.
The Saturday shooting at the Ivy League University, which claimed the lives of two students, Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and Ella Cook, and injured nine others, prompted a response from Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., who offered prayers for all affected by this tragedy. The violence unfolded just after 4 p.m. during the university’s final exam period in the Barus and Holley building, which houses the School of Engineering and the Physics Department.
“As are many, I am deeply saddened and troubled by the senseless shooting today at Brown University in Providence,” Bishop Lewandowski said. “Let us unite in prayer for those who lost their lives, for the injured, for the Brown University community and all affected by this tragedy.”
“May God continue to guide our elected officials, law enforcement, and first responders as they work to keep everyone safe. The Diocese of Providence offers its resources, clergy and personnel, and charitable assistance wherever needed. May God bless us all and may Our Lady of Providence keep us in her care.”
Gaudete Sunday — the third Sunday of Advent, from the Latin word meaning “rejoice” — is meant to be a joyful shift toward Christmas for Catholics. Yet, for the congregation attending the Saturday Vigil Mass at Our Lady of The Rosary Parish in Providence, a few short blocks from where the shooting took place, that theme was dramatically challenged by the sound of sirens wailing in the background.
The news reached the pastor, Father Joseph Escobar, via a text message from a parishioner shortly before the 5 p.m. Mass. He chose to share the developing tragedy with his congregation.
“There were a lot of loud gasps,” Father Escobar told Rhode Island Catholic. “Some had seen police cars and ambulances on their way in, but didn’t know what was happening.”
In his homily, acknowledging the difficult truth the community was facing, Father Escobar encouraged his congregation to seek solace in their faith.
“In my homily, I tried to tie to Gaudete Sunday that in the midst of turmoil and crisis we still have the joy because that joy comes from our faith in God who is with us,” he explained. “We pray that they apprehend those responsible for this tragedy, and we pray for the victims and their families. We can’t allow ourselves to be paralyzed by these things, but nonetheless, we have to stay vigilant.”
The mood among the Brown/RISD Catholic Community (BRCC) this past Sunday, was anything but joyful.
“It is sadly ironic that this is the day we light our third advent candle, symbolizing hope,” said BRCC chaplain Father Justin Bolger, O.P., during his homily. “When dark purple is infused with light, it turns pink, and today’s pink candle is meant to celebrate that hope. As we gather today, we still celebrate the light of God, even in this darkness.”
It is an important reflection for both the university community and the entire state as Rhode Island grapples with a school shooting which left two students dead and nine wounded. For a state so far unaccustomed to this type of violence, the events of Dec. 13 took a subject which many of us had become desensitized to seeing in national headlines and made it tragically real.
It hit especially close to home for members of the Brown/RISD Catholic Community, however, as one of the victims was a regular at evening Mass and the various events hosted at the Catholic Center during the year. Sophomore Ella Cook may have been Episcopalian, but she was “a very dear friend” to the Catholic Community.
“Despite being from another tradition, Ella was very involved with the BRCC,” Father Bolger explained. “She had been spending time here since she got to the university a year and a half ago — coming to Mass with her Catholic friends, going on retreat with us, joining us for prayer and activities. I remember being impressed with her right away: she was very sweet and affable, but also a very courageous young woman who truly loved her faith and who was committed to living it out.”
The Mass on Dec. 14 was offered for the repose of the souls of Cook and the other victim of the shooting, Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov. A table with a photo of Ella surrounded by candles and religious statues stood at the front of the Catholic Center. Several students stopped at the memorial table to pray on their way out, with a few remaining behind after Mass to say a rosary in front of it.
Yaya Willoughby, a recent RISD graduate who still attends Mass at the BRCC, spent some quiet time at the table before leaving.
“I didn’t know Ella personally, but I used to see her here at Mass all the time,” she said. “She was always smiling. It’s just hard to imagine that something like this could happen here: we hear about so much violence in the world that we really can become desensitized to it until it suddenly happens in our own community.”
The shooting has sent shockwaves throughout Rhode Island.
The Dominican Province of St. Joseph (which serves the Brown/RISD Catholic Community) said they “feel this attack acutely and entrust the University and Providence communities to the maternal care of Our Lady of Sorrows.”
Both of Rhode Island’s Catholic colleges, Providence College and Salve Regina University, also released statements of solidarity with their colleagues and neighbors at Brown.
Deacon Timothy Flanagan, M.D., of St. Teresa and St. Christopher Parishes in Tiverton, teaches at Brown Medical School. He made the trip to campus on Sunday to attend Mass with the community.
“I just really wanted to be with the students,” he said. “They’re all feeling terrible pain, deep sorrow, and confusion after such an awful, heinous act. It’s a tight community, however, and they all care about each other.”
Deacon Flanagan’s point was illustrated by the sheer volume of students who turned out for Sunday’s Mass, which far exceeded typical attendance on Sunday evenings. “We had discussed the possibility of holding Mass at Manning Chapel, which is a bit larger, but the building wasn’t available,” said Father Bolger.
“So, we just pulled together as many different chairs, sofas, and stools as we could to fit people in the Catholic Center. It was definitely more people than we usually get; a lot of non-Catholics, too, either looking to show support or looking for a place to grieve. We see people seeking rituals when faced with circumstances they can’t understand—even in a secular climate, you’ll see people engaging in rituals like candlelight vigils. So, it makes sense for them to come to the Catholic Mass, the greatest ritual and most powerful prayer of the Church.”
Seeking understanding is natural in the face of evil, says Father Bolger, although the solution isn’t always clear.
“I visited the injured students at Rhode Island Hospital recently,” he said. “One of them just asked me ‘Why? Why did this happen?’ And I didn’t have a good answer. Something this unjust doesn’t make sense.”
In times of darkness, Father Bolger said he finds solace in music, including in the Gospel standard “Poor, Wayfaring Stranger.”
“We are all ‘poor, wayfaring strangers’ as we travel through this world,” he explained. “For some of us our life on this earth may be long. For some, like Ella, it might be short. But Christ, who we follow, was no stranger to the darkness. At this time of year, we remember that he abandoned the bliss of heaven for the darkness of the stable and the manger because he loved us. And Christ’s love is the only thing that can light the darkness we encounter in this world.”
Police Investigation and Tip Line
The Providence Police Department remains the lead investigatory agency in response to the shooting on the Brown campus to identify the individual responsible — who, as of press time had yet to be identified. As this investigation remains ongoing, anyone with information related to the incident is encouraged to contact the Providence Police Department tip line at 401-272-3121. Community members also are encouraged to upload relevant video, photos and other media to an FBI website established for this investigation: https://www.fbi.gov/brownuniversityshooting
