October 29, 2009
From November 20-22, a group of 30 St. John’s University 
students and Campus Ministry administrators will be among
those who gather in Ft. Benning, GA to learn about, pray for, and
seek justice at the School of the Americas peace march. This
isn’t the first time St. John’s will send a delegation to Ft.
Benning, but it is the first time participants in the St. John’s
delegation will have the opportunity to support and listen to one
of their own members speak to the thousands of people gathered for
the Ignatian
Family Teach-In for Justice.
Satoya Beckles, a senior in St. John’s College of Liberal Arts
and Sciences, has been selected by the Teach-In’s organizing
committee to reflect on how the Teach-In’s theme “¡Presente!” is
reflected in her experience of social justice initiatives.
Satoya will present her experience of how the Vincentian mission
and issues of social justice go hand-in-hand to the predominantly
Jesuit-educated crowd.
Over the last 20 years, thousands of students and administrators
from universities and organizations across the country have
gathered at the gates of Ft. Benning to commemorate innocent
victims of civil war. For the last 12 years, the Ignatian
Family Teach-In for Justice has provided participants with the
opportunity to come together in prayer, conversation, and community
to “dialogue and strategize about ways to confront issues of
injustice, poverty, and oppression both nationally and
internationally” within the context of faith for two days prior to
the peace march. This is the final year the Teach-In will
take place in conjunction with the peace march at Ft.
Benning.
Participation in the trip was open to all St. John’s students
through an application process during the first two weeks of
October. The delegation will meet three times prior to their
departure to organize fundraising efforts and for formation
sessions which will help participants learn about Vincentian
spirituality and issues of social justice, especially those they
will encounter in GA. The St. John’s delegation will depart campus
on the evening of November 19 and will return to the University on
the morning of November 23.
For More Information
Erin Hoffman
Resident Campus Minister
(718) 523-7189
hoffmane@stjohns.edu