Order of the Knights
of His Holiness Pope
" San Ignacio de Loyola "
November 11,
2015 — Upperclassmen at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and
Academy are volunteering to serve as pallbearers at the funerals of homeless
veterans who otherwise would have been buried alone. The program began last
month when six U of D Jesuit seniors served as pallbearers for the funerals of
three veterans at the Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, Michigan.
The students’
service ensures that these men and women who served their country in military
service receive the honor and dignity they deserve at death. A 2014 report by
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found there were about
50,000 homeless veterans in America.
“The men we
honored today put their lives on the line for our country and now they deserve
our dignity and service in return,” said senior Leonard Froehlich. “There is no
better way to pay our respects than by being pallbearers. We honor these
service members by being with them in their last moments on earth, and that in
itself is a privilege.”
The idea for a student-led pallbearer program
originated from informal student discussions about ways the school’s student
service team could better serve the community, especially the marginalized.
“The pallbearer program at U of D Jesuit says a lot
about the school and the young men who attend there,” said Terry Desmond '59,
President, A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Homes. “Their service to the less
fortunate honors the dignity of individuals who are mostly out-of-the-view of
our society.”
Previously, U of D Jesuit students travelled to Saint
Ignatius High School in Cleveland, which runs a similar program, to gather information
and to train. Students received additional training from A.J. Desmond &
Sons Funeral Directors.
U of D Jesuit’s Ignatian Service Corps, which leads
the pallbearer program, partners with more than 50 organizations for service
opportunities allowing students to become “Men for Others,” a critical tenet of
a classic Jesuit education.
Before departing for a funeral, the student
pallbearers gather to pray for the deceased. They travel by student carpool,
take part in the funeral procession, carry the casket to the grave and share in
the prayers of committal. After returning to school, students reflect
prayerfully on their experience.
“Community service by our students is part of our
school’s DNA and a hallmark of a Jesuit education,” said U of D Jesuit
president Father Karl Kiser, SJ. “Preserving the dignity of the human soul is
important to all human beings, regardless of a person’s situation at death.” [Sources: U of D Jesuit,TODAY, CNN]
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario