The 2004-05 year was marked by the dedication of the
University’s first free-standing church, and within a short time,
St. Thomas More Church has achieved its goal of becoming a center
of peace and refuge for the community.
An automobile accident claimed the lives of two St. John’s
students, one a Hindu and the other a Muslim, in February 2005.
Both young men were active in their respective communities, and as
news of the tragedy spread, their friends and families began
congregating in the Church.
“They turned to St. John’s and our church at a time of crisis,”
relates Pamela Shea-Byrnes, Associate Vice President of Campus
Ministry. “They gravitated to the church as a place to connect with
their God and with each other, and, with the help of a Campus
Minister, were able to work through their grief.”