Top: A volunteer hands a candle to a participant at a vigil held at Ralph Gatta Park in Red Bank on June 24 to shine a light against the darkness represented by the killing of nine worshipers at a church in Charleston, S.C., and a local mother of nine who was killed in Asbury Park. PHOTOS BY FRANK GALIPO Good is stronger than evil. Love is stronger than hate. Light is stronger than darkness. Hope is stronger than despair.
This was the message from religious and community leaders at a candlelight vigil held in Red Bank in memory of the nine churchgoers who lost their lives in Charleston, South Carolina, and the mother of nine killed in Asbury Park.
“The only thing that can vanquish the evil is the light of hope,” said the Rev. Terrence Porter, pastor of Red Bank’s Pilgrim Baptist Church on Shrewsbury Avenue.
The June 24 vigil began at Pilgrim Baptist, where members of the community congregated before marching to Ralph Gatta Park to attend a service hosted by local religious and community leaders.
Deacon Jesse Garrison, of Pilgrim Baptist Church, leads the walk from the church to the park where the vigil included remarks by leaders of local faith communities and the communal singing of hymns. “There are so many people in our community that have been pained by recent events, and we wanted to do something to show that there are so many people of good will that are going to pray for the recovery of the families in Charleston,” Porter said, adding that prayers also went out to the nine children who lost their mother.
“What happened in South Carolina could happen anywhere else in America.”
During the ceremony, participants were asked to light candles from the ‘unity candle,’ which was held by Deacon Garrison of the Pilgrim Baptist Church. An elder at the church, he led the march along Shrewsbury Avenue to the vigil.
Among the religious leaders at the vigil was Rabbi Marc Aaron Kline of the Monmouth Reform Temple in Tinton Falls.
Kline told those assembled he had helped lead a protest in Columbia, South Carolina, 15 years ago to take down the Confederate flag that hung over the Capitol dome. Their protest resulted in the flag being taken off the Capitol dome building, but it was moved to a monument outside the statehouse where it has caused so much debate. “I love the fact that people are paying attention, but I am sorry that they have to,” Kline said about the vigil.
During his prayer, he called for unity to extend beyond the vigil.
“If we go home tonight and go back to our separate lives and community we have blasphemed,” Kline told those in attendance.
The Rev. Matt Cimorelli, pastor of The Lutheran Church of the Reformation in West Long Branch, was impressed with the turnout of all people of all faiths.
“I’m glad to see a vast diversity in age and denominations. It’s good to see that kind of diversity in our community,” Cimorelli said.
To residents attending the demonstration, this was a moment to solidify their belief that no matter the tragedy, their community would come together to heal.
“[This vigil] shows that love can conquer a multitude of sin,” said Charles Cox, who owns a garage on Shrewsbury Avenue. He walked with other members of the community in high spirits.
Borough officials also attended the vigil with Mayor Pasquale Menna speaking in tune with other leaders.
“There’s an increasing incidents of violence and diatribe on things that I thought were over when I got out of high school. We have to take a stand, and all of us need to come together to express our solidarity,” Menna said.
Unlike other towns in the area, according to Menna, flags in the borough of Red Bank were ordered to fly at half-staff in a show of solidarity with the communities impacted by the killings at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.
The vigil ended with members of the community singing hymns and lighting their candles against the recent darkness of violence.
“In times of crisis and pain, the community really pulls together. Even though it might not have happened in our community, we can really pull together as a community,” Porter said.