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Contact Dawn Insanalli, director of Public Relations, at (914) 637-2726 or by e-mail to dinsanalli@iona.edu.
Iona College Campus Gathers for Prayer Service and Community Reception
New Rochelle, NY (November 9, 2012) The Iona College community gathered on Tuesday November 6 in the Burke Lounge of Spellman Hall for a reflective prayer service to recognize the blessings of service-to-others and the “return home” for students from Hurricane Sandy, while mourning the losses from the storm.
Brother Kevin Devlin, director of Student Retention, led the service with a welcome and meditative reflection followed by Father Frank Dixon’s reading of Psalm 139. Prayers of the community petitions were read by Iona students, Joe Chabot’13, Matt Harrigan ’14, Savannah Lang ’15, Caitlyn O’Toole ’14, Alexa Serrecchia ’14 and a closing prayer led by Regina Plunkett-Dowling, Ph.D., director of Mission Integration.
Jaclyn Shearer ’14, president of the Student Government Association (SGA), delivered beautiful words of gratitude for all that the Iona community did to ensure student safety and comfort during the challenging past week. After thanking the residential life staff, facilities, Chartwell’s, President Nyre and his team, Ms. Shearer stated, “Nobody can truly prepare for a disaster such as this, but I am proud to be part of a community that has responded with so much compassion and community, and such a fierce determination to rebuild. This just serves as another reminder that, no matter what is going on in the world, for four years and beyond, Iona is always a place we can call home.”
President Joseph E. Nyre, Ph.D. conveyed his heartfelt appreciation for the people of Iona and their generous acts of kindness that were exhibited from pre-hurricane preparation to the moment the hurricane landed and continues today with the commitment to restore and maintain a vibrant and full-functioning campus life for our students, faculty and staff.
“Our work in supporting the greater community has just begun. The continued acts in service to others and the power to overcome are reflective of how we at Iona fight the good fight,” said Dr. Nyre. He added, “We are and remain committed to helping students, employees, alums, and communities affected by the storm. In light of devastation, we take some solace, comfort, and gratitude for your service to others, especially during this time.”
For information on how to assist with post hurricane relief efforts please visit http://bit.ly/YYlNYs .
Founded in 1940, Iona College is a four-year private, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers and American Catholic higher education. It is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona offers undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science, and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs.
For questions or more information please contact:
Dawn Insanalli
Public Relations Office
Iona College, 715 North Avenue, New Rochelle, N.Y. 10801
Office: (914) 637-2726
Fax: (914) 637-2711
dinsanalli@iona.edu
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