ST. GREGORY'S MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL TEENS HONOR THE PEOPLE OF PARKLAND

The trauma of violence lingers long after the cameras have moved on.  Since that fateful day in 2018, the Parkland community has borne the wounds of the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.  With the recent unrest created by the verdict in the shooter’s trial, fresh pain is sweeping through this hurting community.  As we grieve with them, we ask the age-old questions:  Where is God in this?  How can we think of the people who lost their lives as anything but victims?

Over the past couple of weeks during Sunday morning Upper Room Time for middle and high schoolers, we have talked about the people of Parkland, looking at them from the perspective of the Communion of Saints.  We noted that the lives of each of these people still have deep meaning and that, in ways that may not be immediately discernible, they surround us, encourage us, and inspire us.  

As with Jesus, whose earthly life also ended with violence, their story does not end at the tomb.  The love these people gave and received in this world is now infinitely magnified through the love of God in Christ, poured out for the healing of the world.  They are victims no longer.  This is the promise of resurrection that comforts us, gives us hope, and assures us that violence and tragedy will never have the last word. 

With this as the context, we worked on creating a series of repoussè icons, one to honor each of the 17 Parkland saints.  The icons are of the 14 Stations of the Cross plus some additional ones (the empty tomb, Jesus the Good Shepherd, etc).  The icons will be displayed in Harris Hall as part of our Remembrance Table.  Please stop by and enjoy the amazing work of our young people.

[Repoussé (from the French, meaning to push or drive back) is a metalworking technique in which a malleable metal is shaped by hammering or tracing from the reverse side to create a design in low relief. These techniques are very ancient and have been extensively used all over the world.]

— Anita Sherman