|
Second, we are so grateful to all who joined our community for our Election Day Prayer Vigil (you can still watch the full 12-hour video here). We thank in particular our guest speakers - The Rt. Rev. J. Scott Barker, The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, The Rt. Rev. Craig Loya, The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers, The Rt. Rev. Antonio Gallardo, The Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde, and The Rev. Katie Nakamura Rengers - whose reflections were a source of inspiration and peace throughout an anxious day.
We also thank our dedicated community members without whose efforts the day would not have been possible: to Abby Z. Ybay, Obl/OSB, who managed all our technology; to Jimmy Miller, Obl/OSB, who setup our chapel for each prayer service; to our young adult residents, Magnolia Vandiver and Amadeo Sonier, who supported their work and were present for much of the vigil; to our poll drivers, Mtr. Kate Hennessy-Keimig, Obl/OSB, Rick Keimig, Bill Dunbar, Obl/OSB, and Anne Hebert, Obl/OSB; and to all our Oblates and other community members who kept vigil in the chapel during the 12-hour event.
Finally, thank you to each of you who joined us in prayer, online or in-person, across the United States and beyond. Thank you to all who voted and made their voices heard, to all who helped register people to vote, and to all who helped get people to the polls. Together, our work was the lived expression of our Baptismal Covenant, to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.
Now, let us keep walking in footsteps of Christ. May we advocate for the will of the people to be honored and for the peaceful seating of the new Congress. May we continue in our ministry and solidarity with the poor and forgotten. May we strive to love God above all else and our neighbors as ourselves. The hungry still need to be fed, the stranger welcomed, the sick cared for, and the marginalized empowered.
God's Peace be upon you,
Br. James Dowd, OSB
Prior of The Benedictine Way
Spiritual Guide of Contemplative Underground
Abby Z. Ybay, Obl/OSB
Dean of Community Life
Spiritual Guide of Contemplative Underground
| 
