By Tami Quigley

Special to the Bethlehem Press

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, where there is hatred let me sow love.”

A group of friends took the lyrics of The Prayer of St. Francis into their hearts and joined together for a Candlelight Vigil for Peace and Healing Sept. 28 at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Bethlehem Township. They gathered to honor all recent victims of violence and hatred in an effort to promote unity, harmony and the reconciliation of this nation.

“We must all continue to live in faith and not in fear, and remind ourselves of that every minute of every day if need be,” Jamie Shankweiler Marchiano said. “We must also know this is the turning point and God always wins … he already has. Keep that in our hearts and our days will be lived in peace.”

Shankweiler Marchiano shared her sentiment of the evening that created a safe and sacred space for prayer, compassion and unity, embracing the Biblical passage, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).

Carissa Serino, Rhonda Miller and The Rev. Richard Mollica, pastor of St. John’s, organized the gathering of friends in the church parking lot just before sunset. Pastor Mollica graciously offered the church grounds for the gathering, though the church did not sponsor the event.

The vigil was held for those who recently lost their lives tragically and senselessly to violence, including conservative speaker Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, who was assassinated while speaking Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University; Iryna Zarutska, who was stabbed to death on a train in North Carolina; Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski, students at Annunciation Catholic School, Minneapolis, Minn. who were killed during a shooting while praying at Mass in the parish church; and Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, who were shot along with their golden retriever Gilbert in their home.

The day of the vigil there was a deadly shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Mich., and the evening before, a gunman on a boat fired deadly shots into the American Fish Company, a waterfront eatery in Southport, N.C.

Pastor Mollica led the service in St. John’s parking lot, opening the circle to anyone who wished to speak. He led prayers focused on religious unity, school shootings, the homeless community, substance abuse disorder, mental health issues and against political violence. He also prayed for first responders, law enforcement, firefighters, protection and healing.

Serino thanked everyone for being there, and noted the organizers debated on how best to host the vigil. “Isn’t it pathetic that we have to worry about inciting violence at an event against it? This is what America has become.”

Serino voiced thanks for the presence of Bethlehem Township Police Officers Norder and Stonehouse, who were on hand to provide protection and security at the vigil, which was indeed peaceful.

“We have become so divided and full of hate for people who don’t agree with us or have a different skin color than us that we have forgotten what it means to be human,” Serino said as she addressed those gathered.

“In my opinion, it should be everyone’s goal in life to be a good person,” Serino said, encouraging everyone to be respectful, kind and forgiving, and “to treat others the way you would want to be treated, to love and care for others, and not always think that the world revolves around you.

“It’s not rocket science. Basically what I’m saying is we should all strive to be more like dogs – or cats for all of you cat lovers out there,” Serino said. “They already know and exhibit all of these positive qualities. They love unconditionally. Humans have not mastered these traits yet, and it seems we are heading backward.

“United we stand, divided we fall,” Serino said. “This country needs to come together, or we will fail.

“We are living in very dark times, and we should be thinking about our children. We should only want what’s best for them,” Serino, who has a 6-year-old son, said. “They are the light, and the hope for a better future, and right now, we are failing them. We need to act now and turn things around before it is too late.

“We would like to honor Charlie Kirk for engaging in open debates and voicing his beliefs regardless of whether or not his opponents agreed with him. Now, his two children are forced to grow up without their father,” Serino said.

“For Iryna Zarutska, who was viciously stabbed to death on a train on her way home from work. She fled Ukraine to start a better life, and had it taken from her, because the justice system failed to do its job and lock a dangerous man away. What happened to her could have happened to any one of us.”

Serino spoke of Minnesota State Rep. Melissa and Mark Hortman and their golden retriever, Gilbert, “who were shot down in their home by someone who did not agree with her stance on political issues.

“For the children, Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski, who were murdered while praying in school, because someone decided to take innocent lives before cowardly taking his own,” Serino said.

“One single event changed the lives of these families forever. Let’s remember them.”

Serino expressed her hope for everyone to pray for the victims and their families, and for the people traumatized by witnessing the horrific murders of Charlie Kirk, Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski. She thanked everyone gathered for their time and support.

“It was really hope – producing to see people come together in love and in passion, asking God to bring peace to our schools and to our country, but also asking for God to show us how we can be part of the healing and part of the solution,” Pastor Mollica said.

A sampling of the thoughts of others gathered include those of Bill T., who said, “It’s tragically apparent that we as a nation need community, not conflict, vigils, not violence, support, not strife, and reunification, not retribution.” He added John Lennon and Yoko Ono said it best, “All we are saying is give peace a chance.”

“Our community is coming together in the Lehigh Valley to honor lives lost to violence, to pray for peace, and to call attention to the deeper struggles behind it, including the mental health crisis so many are facing,” Rhonda Miller said. “This vigil is not about politics, but about unity, compassion and creating a safer, more hopeful future together.”

“Hopefully we can stop the violence and come together. Stop the violence before it even starts. We are one nation, and need to come together,” James Ross said, noting we must defend the sacred. “Christ died for us, and we need to live for him.”

Robin Thorman was grateful. “This vigil is one thing closer to being helpful.”

“The world is in a mental health crisis, and that’s why we believe and are so passionate about this,” one person in attendance said.

“It was a really nice gathering and great community,” Christie said.

“You don’t want to live your life in fear. There’s stuff happening that can happen anywhere,” Serino said. “This was not a rally, but remembering people who lost their lives and who witnessed the events who will be traumatized for the rest of our lives.”

She believes a lot of the violence has to do with people not receiving the help they need for their mental health.

“We need more mental health services that are low-cost or free so the people who really need it can get it. Mental health issues have a lot to do with violent crimes – people just start shooting.”

Serino was heartened that people in the community cared enough to come to pray and come together.

“People seemed to enjoy being at the vigil and were inspired. I left feeling a little bit better,” She said.

Pastor Mollica noted St. John will offer a free Thanksgiving meal to the public Nov. 25 at 6 p.m. Donations are welcome but no money is necessary. The menu will feature a full turkey with trimmings dinner, as well as Spanish pork shoulder and rice.

Free human trafficking trainings are available upon request as well as addiction and mental health trainings.

St. John hosts Mental Health Mondays each week from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., a welcoming and supportive gathering where community members with lived experience around mental health come together for meaningful conversation, peer support and shared stories, helpful information on local resources, a chance to uplift and be uplifted and to share lunch.

For more information contact St. John, 8065 William Penn Highway, Easton, 610-866-1155.