BELLS OF REMEMBRANCE

In these times of great turmoil, Siena College is sounding the call “to act with justice ... love tenderly ... and walk humbly with God.”

In a prayer service on Monday, June 15, on the front steps of Siena Hall, the Franciscan College tolled the “Bells of Remembrance,” a gift from the friars who founded the college, as a call to combat systemic racism and racial injustice rooted in our society. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us of our fragility and our impact upon one another. Three weeks ago, today, the horrific death of George Floyd exposed once again the ongoing virus of racism, America’s original sin,” said Father Mark G. Reamer, ’83 OFM, guardian of the Franciscan Friary and vice president for Mission.

Siena’s call is one of many across the nation, crying out after the death of Floyd, a black man who was killed by a white Minnesota cop. Floyd’s death, followed by the subsequent deaths of other black men, has sparked countless protests across the country demanding an end to police brutality and the unjust killings and mistreatment of black people. 

The bells were tolled and rung in the parking lot in front of Siena Hall, where media and guests wore face masks and practiced social distancing as safety protocols for COVID-19. The event was led by Siena's Class of 2020, a handful of whom helped in pealing and tolling each of the three, large balls: the bell of justice, the bell of love and the bell of humility.

The bell of justice was tolled in sadness for systemic racism in society and rung for just and right relationships. The bell of love was tolled in grief for those lost to COVID-19 and rung in universal love. And the bell of humility was tolled in sorrow for the ignorance and fear that caused the death of Floyd and so many others and rung in response to God’s call for humility.

Unushah Khan, ’21, who tolled the bell of humility, said she was “honored” to do so. A nursing major, Khan said that she is even more inspired to help save lives after seeing the work of nurses during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Bells of Remembrance Project began after 9/11 to honor Father Mychal Judge, a Franciscan friar, who served as assistant to the president at Siena for three years, and was chaplain for the New York City Fire Department and the first official fatality on 9/11. 

Brother David Schlatter, ’72, a friar and fire chaplain, started the project after 9/11 to create a memorial to Brother Judge. According to Schlatter, the “bells give expression to feelings people sometimes cannot verbalize.”

Since their inception, the Bells of Remembrance have been gifted by the friars around the country. In 2006, the Bells of Remembrance were donated to the National Park Service’s Flight 93 Memorial. In 2019, they were donated to St. Rose of Lima Church in Newtown, Conn., in memory of the 26 children, teachers and staff who were killed at  Sandy Hook Elementary school in 2012.

“In recent months, public service announcements have be on the airwaves reminding us that we are in this together, and it is a good phrase to repeat, that we are in it together, and yet the sad truth of our nation has been that both the virus and the sin of racism has shown us that we are not really in it together,” said Father Kevin Mullen, ’75, OFM, Provincial Minister of the Holy Names Province. “The virus has touched populations differently, affected communities differently. Racism has affected all of us and injured us, and so the dream of being in it together still awaits us.

“But on this day of remembrance I charge the community at Siena College to never forget this day and the gift of these bells and what they stand for: that we will act with justice, we will love tenderly and we will continue to walk humbly with God into a future that with God’s grace and our corporation, we can help build that kingdom of peace, that kingdom of justice where all men and women are free at last and come together as brothers and sisters.”