April 15, 2020
Posted by ICTC on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at 11:52 AM PDT
Remembering Fr. Peter Ely in Appreciation and Love
From Dr. Jeanette Rodriguez, ICTC Interim Director:
Remembering our Brother Peter:
On April 11, 2020, Holy Saturday, we the SU community suffered a great loss. Our brother Fr. Peter Ely, SJ, passed. Shocked and overwhelmed by grief, we mourn that we didn’t get a chance to say goodbye; to tell him how much his presence meant to us, or that his questions about our well-being, our family, and our research, made us feel “seen” and cared for. We will miss how he drew from his own flawed humanity to appreciate and to advocate for mercy, forgiveness, and compassion.
We were the recipients of the depth of his intellect and renewed by his sense of wonder, awe and curiosity. His ability to lift up the best of the Catholic tradition and his desire to be in dialogue with other traditions helped guide us to find God in all things. He was eager to understand and be in dialogue with the diversity of experiences within the human condition; and was particularly interested in the worldview of the atheists, agnostics, and seekers. He sought every opportunity to learn and grow and to offer those insights, but even more importantly, the questions – for us to engage with for deeper reflection about life, love, purpose, meaning and belonging. In many ways he reminds us of the Renaissance Jesuit; sharp intellect, compassionate posture to the world, a linguist, a lover of the arts. Many of us might well remember his presence at games, lectures, plays, and concerts. And how many of us remember him - always willing to pause as we were rushing to class, a meeting of some sort on the quad; he always made time to say hello and check in in some way. The same way he stopped to gaze at the budding flowers and greenery, or the birds singing - always animated about life and with a sense of gratitude for all of creation. We too are grateful for having had the opportunity to cross paths with Fr. Peter.
God of all consolation, in your unending love for all of us you turn the darkness of death into the dawn of new life.
Be comfort in our sorrow and strength in our grief.
Help us to know the peace and light of your presence, where every tear is wiped away. We ask this through Christ Jesus, who walks this road of grief with us.
Amen.