Canisius Hosts Remembrance Weekend Events

May 9, 2023
Canisius University

Canisius will host the following events as part of the city's “5/14 Remembrance Weekend: Reflection, Healing & Hope." Remembrance Weekend was formed by Mayor Byron Brown to honor and memorialize the lives lost, and support and pray for all those impacted by the racially-motivated shooting at the Tops Friendly Markets store on the East Side of Buffalo. The following events are free and open to the public.

SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2023

“Turning Trauma into Triumph” / 8 am – 4:30 pm / Canisius Campus

“Turning Trauma into Triumph” is a day-long event coordinated by Canisius alumna Zeneta Everhart ’11, which includes conference sessions, a reading by Poet Jillian Hanesworth, a musical performance by Drea D’Nur, African drummers and more. For more information, please contact Zeneta Everhart at @email

Rev. Bryan N. Massingale, STD / 7 pm / Montante Cultural Center

Renowned as the world’s leading Catholic social ethicist, Rev. Bryan N. Massingale, STD, is the James and Nancy Buckman Chair in Applied Christian Ethics at Fordham University. His talk is titled, "Lament, Dreams, and the Work of Justice,” and is presented under the auspices of the college’s William H. Fitzpatrick Chair of Political Science Lecture Series. For further details regarding Father Massingale’s talk, please contact Richard A. Bailey, PhD, Fitzpatrick professor of history, at (716) 888-2684 or @email.

MONDAY, MAY 15, 2023

Prayer Service / 10 am / Christ the King Chapel

The college will host a prayer service of honor to highlight the many ways in which families are honoring the life and legacy of their loved ones.

Racial Healing Circle / 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm / Student Center Conference Room

Join Erie Niagara Area Health Education Center (AHEC) for a Racial Healing Circle. The non-profit organization is dedicated to bringing diversity and equity to Erie and Niagara County, primarily within the healthcare workforce.

Staff members, Ryan James and Alivia Smeltzer-Darling, have been trained to facilitate Racial Healing Circles as an extension of the organization’s goal. Both facilitators are committed to holding a compassionate space for others to express their truth in the healing presence of community.

The Racial Healing Circle invites participants into important discussions regarding the implicit biases that affect our everyday decisions in areas of policy making, hiring, education, housing, healthcare, etc. Narrative change and relationship building activities are incorporated through this experience, as well. Limited spots are available for this special event. Please register here-https://forms.gle/JDpikFrkBsHx2rv47