As a scholar of Christianity in China, Father Paul Mariani spent the Spring 2020 semester as Fordham’s St. Ignatious Loyola Chair.

As protests and demonstrations swept over the country, nearly all of Fordham’s online student circles engaged in the conversation. Social media platforms were buzzing with livestreams, stories, posts and comments about George Floyd and police violence. For once, it seemed like other people in America were listening.

With most students gone and the streets around campus empty, those who remain at and near Fordham campuses find themselves in an entirely new environment.

With the outbreak of the novel coronavirus and the indefinite cancellation of university Mass, University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., has been sending out pastoral messages to the Fordham community in an effort to provide comfort.