Parents

Dear Parents,

Wednesday marked the end of quite an era at Bellarmine. After 45 years, Jim Harville taught his last class – Comedy & Tragedy. I was privileged to stand with about a dozen colleagues and former students as we watched Jim teach Catch-22 for the final time. He did so without fanfare (aside from our small gallery), eliciting comments from his students, exchanging fist bumps when they made a particularly good comment, noting key points on the board, and teaching up to and through the bell. He ended with a simple, “I love you guys. Go Bells”, after which the class gave him a standing ovation, and every student gave him a big hug on his way out of the room. It was quite a moment, and a wonderful testament to a man who is not only a great and inspirational teacher, but also a terrific model of what it means to be a “man for others”.

To the Creator of nature and man, of truth and beauty, I pray:

Hear my voice, for it is the voice of the victims of all wars and violence among individuals and nations.

Hear my voice, for it is the voice of all children who suffer and will suffer when people put their faith in weapons and war.

Hear my voice when I beg You to instill into the hearts of all human beings the wisdom of peace, the strength of justice, and the joy of fellowship.

Hear my voice, for I speak for the multitudes in every country and in every period of history who do not want war and are ready to walk the road of peace.

Hear my voice and grant insight and strength so that we may always respond to hatred with love, to injustice with total dedication to justice, to need with the sharing of self, to war with peace.

O God, hear my voice and grant unto the world Your everlasting peace.