Hymns and organ music resonated in downtown Blacksburg Sunday evening as one church opened a space designed to foster healing and serenity for the Virginia Tech community more than two years after the April 16, 2007 shootings.
Tucked away in downtown Blacksburg, the Christ Episcopal Church appears to be merely a small stone church with a red door – a picture from a textbook on Americana – but connected to the church is a quiet courtyard that now hosts a unique structure: a labyrinth.…
After the tragedy of April 16, 2007, an independent nonprofit religious organization, Episcopal Relief and Development, contacted the church. ERD generally provides aid to Episcopalian communities affected by natural disaster, famine, epidemics and other situations that require outside assistance.
“They wanted to help us,” Russell [the Rev. Scott Russell, campus minister] said, “but we didn’t need food or clothing or medicine.”
Malaika Kamunanwire, ERD spokesperson, said that the grant came together within the first couple of months after the tragedy. “We wanted to talk about what might be a potential long-term response for the trauma to the students,” Kamunanwire said. “We wanted to establish the basic framework for permanent relief.”
Initially, the foundation provided funding for a psychiatrist to come speak with and counsel students.
From the Christ Church website:
In 2007 Episcopal Relief and Development reached out to Christ Church, Blacksburg, in the wake of the tragic events of April 16th. In a first-ever grant given to a “disaster site” that didn’t need food, clothing or shelter, the purpose of the grant was to help the Christ Church family and, through us, the entire Blacksburg community, take steps along the road to healing. Interest began to grow in creating a space at Christ Church to offer a contemplative retreat for prayer and healing, one that would not just benefit our parish, but the entire community and diocese.
