A Statement on the Violence at Vancouver’s Lapu-Lapu Day Festival
Our hearts are heavy for all those affected by the tragic, heartbreaking violence that occurred at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival in Vancouver on Saturday, April 26. Words cannot express the profound sadness of this event. We mourn for those who were killed, injured, or harmed. We lament the pain felt by their families, loved ones, friends, and neighbours. We grieve with and for Vancouver’s Filipino community, recognizing the particular pain of their experience in this time.
Above all, we lift our hearts and voices in prayer to the God who sees, loves, and holds each person who is suffering—physically, emotionally, or spiritually—because of this weekend’s violence.
We pray for each person who was wounded, and for the first responders, medical teams, and other caregivers attending to the victims. May God’s healing power accompany them.
We pray for those who have lost dear ones, for the families that are suddenly too small, for the friendships and deep community connections that have been brutally disrupted. May God’s comfort surround the hurting.
We pray for others affected by this violence, including members of our College community: for onlookers and witnesses, for people who live in the neighbourhood, for all who attended the festival, for all who have feared for themselves or their loved ones, for all who are anxious and traumatized. May God’s goodness be a light in dark times.
We pray for the community whose members gathered for celebration and encountered horror. May God’s love and compassion be manifest among them, bolstering the resilience already so vividly on display.
We pray for God’s justice and peace to prevail in Vancouver and beyond. May God’s desire for the flourishing of all people be realized more widely and deeply in our broken world.
We also pray that we—the Regent community of students, faculty, and staff, as well as the body of Christ both local and global—may be united in prayer for those most affected by this tragedy. May God prepare us to offer service, help, and care as needs and opportunities arise.