News
Prayers for peace
by Chonel LaPorte
MySouthEnd.com Contributor
Wednesday Jun 9, 2010
St. Stephen’s holds vigil at O’Day Playground to call attention to youth violence
Katherine Lara has always been worried by the gang and other violence plaguing her neighborhood, but after four teenagers were killed in the past month, her fears have become worse.
"It affected me a lot because people nowadays are getting killed for no reason," said the 14-year-old. "I don’t understand why there should be violence. People should be mature enough to handle it with talking."
On Tuesday evening, June 8, Lara and more than 35 others gathered at O’Day Playground to try to understand why the violence was happening and to pray that their summers would be filled with fun, instead of funerals.
The prayer service, led by Rev. Liz Steinhauser, was the first of Shawmut Avenue’s St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church’s weekly peace vigils for the summer. The attendees gathered in a circle around the peace rock in the center of the playground for group and individual prayers.
After the service was over, Lara, who had classes with one of the young victims, Nicholas Fomby-Davis, a 14-year-old boy gunned down while riding his motorized scooter in Dorchester last month, said she hoped the prayers would help end the violence and her fears. The latest rash of gang-related killings has hit teenagers and young people who have no gang connections and stay out of trouble.
"They had no reason to kill him," she said of Fomby-Davis, who was killed last month while riding a motorized scooter. "I could be the next victim."
Steinhauser, the Director of Youth Programs at St. Stephen’s, said the violence had become normal for many of the children in her programs.
"It’s normal, but it shouldn’t be," she said.
The recent violence has unnerved the public more than usual, leading Steinhauser to begin the weekly peace vigils. She decided to hold them in O’Day Playground because it is a place where peace is desperately needed. The playground is a meeting place for gangs and often the site of violence.
"Imagine being seven years old and not being able to play in the playground you can see from your bedroom window," said Steinhauser, as the younger attendees raced around the playground, excited to play in a place usually restricted by their parents in order to keep them safe. "I think that’s wrong."
The vigil also launched the church’s Bishop Summer Academic Fun Enrichment Program (B-SAFE), which seeks to keep children and teens busy during the hot summer months, something Steinhauser said is important.
"As kids are out of school and there’s not a safe program, [and there’s] no money for jobs, violence goes up," she said. "When you invest in young people, violence goes down. Kids want to make safe choices."
Officer Jorge Diaz, the Community Service Officer for District 4, agreed with Steinhauser, saying that while the police will do their best to prevent crimes, the community must take action.
"I think if we had the community marching forward with us, it would make a substantial difference," said Diaz in a phone interview before the service. "Until you start doing that, we are not going anywhere. Someone has to step up and take a stand and we will be there to support them."
Diaz is not sure of the reason for the recent violence, saying the trickle-down effect, or recently released criminals committing further crimes, could be the culprit, as well as long-standing feuds and issues. He added that neither the reason for the violence nor statistics were as important as the public reaction.
"The homicide rate is only about five more than last year," he said. "I don’t look at stats ... they are good for meetings, but I think what is important is what has happened has really affected people. Gang-banger against ganger-banger you don’t have a lot of public outcry."
The children of St. Stephen’s youth programs hope that this public outcry, along with their prayers, will finally give them a chance at a safe summer. Some remain frightened just to go outside, however.
"It kind of gets me a little scared," said Deshawn Saunders, a 13-year-old who read from the Gospel of Matthew at the service. "It worries me. You got to be careful."
St. Stephen’s will hold a prayer service for peace every Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. at O’ Day Playground until mid-August. All are welcome to attend.
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