Hundreds of students, faculty, staff, monks, and community members gathered on the grass in front of Alumni Hall to honor the tragic loss of Caroline Rogers, an English major from the Class of 2025.
Caroline was a resident of Harwich, Massachusetts. She was found deceased on Friday, May 3 in her dormitory room with an apparently self-inflicted injury, sources confirmed to The Crier.
The service on May 6 offered a moment of reflection and prayer for the Saint Anselm community, many openly grieving at this time.
Gregg Cecconi, director of Campus Ministry, called upon the Lord to send peace to Caroline’s family, classmates, friends, and all who have been affected by her death. He emphasized the importance of community bonds during difficult times.
“We believe that all the ties of friendship and affection, which knit us together throughout our lives, do not unravel with death,” he said, quoting from a Catholic liturgical prayer.
Susan Gabert, associate dean of students for Anselmian Life and Culture, read “A Reflection for Welcoming Grief” by Shannon K. Evans.
“When the grief rolls in for the first time, or for the hundredth time, teach her somehow to welcome it. Because her grief means she cared. Her grief means she loved. Her grief means it was real,” Gabert read.
Gary Bouchard, professor of English and executive director at the Gregory J. Grappone ’04 Humanities Institute, read from the Book of Ecclesiastes, which reminds that there is a season and time for every purpose under heaven, including mourning and dancing.
“We have all known the time for planting, for laughing and for dancing. The joys of happier days can never be taken from us. Let those joys, O Lord, soften the pain of our suffering now,” he said in a reflective prayer following the reading.
Alicia Finn, vice president for student affairs and dean of students, read from the poem “For Grief” by John O’Donohue. The poem opened with the words, “when you lose someone you love, your life becomes strange.” It acknowledged the deeply personal nature of grief, which can be sudden and overwhelming at times, while also offering comfort that healing is a part of the journey.
“And, when the work of grief is done, the wound of loss will heal and you will have learned to wean your eyes from that gap in the air and be able to enter the hearth of your soul, where your loved one has awaited your return all the time,” read Dean Finn from O’Donohue’s poem.
Jennifer Patient ’26 offered a reading from the Prophet Isaiah, in which the Lord affirms that he has redeemed all his beloved and will not abandon them during challenges and times of strife. In a prayer after the reading, Patient explained how death and grief can generate feelings of fear and pain, past, present, and future, and called upon God to remind everyone of his constant presence.
Fr. Jerome Joseph Day, O.S.B., assistant professor of English and communication, read from the Gospel of Matthew. “Come to me,” declares Jesus of Nazareth in the passage, “all you who labor and are overburdened and I will give you rest,” he read. Fr. Jerome prayed that all who mourn may experience comfort in the meek and humble heart of the Lord Jesus, and that Caroline’s soul may be at rest in heaven.
College President Joseph Favazza acknowledged the pain of losing someone so young, who had a lifetime full of dreams and hopes ahead of her. Dr. Favazza shared that the best way to get through loss is to look towards love in one another as a community, which was apparent in the more than 500 gathered that day.
Favazza called on the community to lean on one another in this time of grief. “As we work through the shock and the emotion we are experiencing today, lean on one another with care and compassion and love. And find strength in our bond, as a community, a family that you have chosen to be part of on this Hilltop,” he said.
Anna Gaby ’25 read from the “kaddish,” a traditional Hebrew prayer that is said every day for 11 months after a loved one has passed away. This Jewish prayer invites all to bask in God’s praises and what is to come. It also sheds a light on the abundant peace that is to come when one makes it to heaven.
Student Government Association president and vice president, Salvatore Parent ’25 and Diego Benites ’25, led the crowd in the prayers of the faithful. Together, everyone gathered on the quad lifted up prayers for the soul of Caroline and healing for all those affected by her death.
Campus minister Antony Abi Awad invited all who felt comfortable to hold hands, and those gathered offered a united prayer of the Our Father for all of the service’s intentions.
In a touching musical conclusion to the service, Kelly Geraghty ’25 sang the hymn “Amazing Grace” accompanied by Mary Kocev ’24 on the violin.
As the community grieves, many professors, faculty and staff members, and campus offices have made themselves available to support students. Fr. Francis McCarthy, O.S.B., told students that there are resources available day and night. He urged students to reach out for help for themselves or for loved ones. If someone does not know where to go, the staff in Campus Ministry and many other offices are more than willing to help connect students with resources.
Below are various resources provided in an email from Health Services for anyone who feels the need to seek assistance, counseling, and companionship
through this difficult time:
- Health Services, lower-level Jean Student Center 603-641-7028
- 24-hour on-call counselors: 603-641-7000; dial 0
- The Harbor
- Athletic Trainers
- Campus Ministry
- Uwill student mental health and wellness app
- 988 Crisis Lifeline chat and text (24/7)
Ronnie Boswell • May 9, 2024 at 6:03 pm
Praying for all of the family and friends,,so very sad