Peter Caty/The Mirror
Students squeezed inside Egan Chapel last night in remembrance of beloved classmate Julia Sill ’13. Fr. Michael J. Doody, S.J. presided over the prayer service that allowed friends and family to grieve the sudden death of a fellow student. The Egan Chapel was filled to capacity, exhibiting the strength of the Fairfield community in a time of sorrow.
Sill came to Fairfield from California, and was described by her friends as funny, spontaneous and happy. She lived in Claver Hall and was an active member of Glee Club, which made their presence at the service even more meaningful.
In the middle of the service, people were allowed to offer their prayers by sprinkling incense on burning charcoal—the idea being that the smoke that rose towards the ceiling was the physical manifestation of the members’ thoughts and condolences for Sill and her family.
The prayer service included an acoustic rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young;” and readings were done by friends Kevin Bachman ‘13, Lindsay Hillas ‘13 and Annie Coyle ‘13; three girls—Amanda McKane ‘13, Diana Lordi ‘13 and Brittany Lane ‘13—closed the service with goodbye letters.
Poster-boards in the vestibule of the Egan Chapel and a slideshow of Sill and her friends downstairs in the McGrath commons gave people another look at the girl who was described as lovely, amicable and caring. Fr. Doody ended the service by reminding the attendees to use this as a quiet time to enjoy with friends and to try not to give in to temptations.
Sill, a sophomore majoring in Communications in the College of Arts & Sciences, was found dead in her Claver Hall dorm room Tuesday.
The Fairfield Police Department reported that Sill was found with a self-inflicted injury, and that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding her death and no reason to believe that anyone else was involved.
Sill’s parents, who live in California, were notified of their daughter’s death early Tuesday morning. An email sent by Mark C. Reed, V.P. of Administration and Student Affairs, Tuesday afternoon notified the University community.
The University informed members of the Fairfield community that Counseling Services, Campus Ministry and Residence Life are available to those coping with this sad situation. Space in the third floor lounge in Claver Hall is also being set up for students to contact support services.
Leave a Reply