On September 21, 2023, a local tragedy made national news when a charter bus rolled over into 50-foot ravine 75 miles northwest of New York City, killing two and injuring about 40 more people.
The bus had been heading to band camp from Farmingdale High School in Long Island, N.Y. I’m quite familiar with Farmingdale because it’s only 15 minutes away from me and boasts a Main Street that I wish my own town had. I’ve frequented its restaurants and shops, especially Runner’s Edge, where I always buy my running sneakers. I’ve taken my kids to meet Santa and the Easter Bunny at the town’s Stew Leonard’s supermarket. Last year, we also went to the family-friendly Holy Thursday and Good Friday services at St. Kilian Parish in Farmingdale. Needless to say, this tragedy really hit home for me in a way that’s still lingering almost two weeks later.
As I watched the media report on the event on a local and national scale, there was something that stuck out to me about the way the news stories unfolded. It seemed that almost every outlet was quick to report that the deaths were those of two adults, not students. The sentiment in the headlines and among the comments regarding the headlines was that it was a relief, at least, that no students had died. While I understand that to a point, I still find the deaths of the two women who did die extremely tragic. I don’t consider their lives to be any less valuable than anyone else who may have been on the bus that day.
One of the women lost, Gina Pellettiere, was a 43-year-old band director and a mother to a 2-year-old boy who is too young to understand why his mother didn’t come home that day. Her death has lasting ramifications not only for the rest of his life, but also for the rest of her family and the entire school. Beatrice Ferrari, 77, was a retired teacher who also died in the bus crash. Yes, she may have had more years of life, but a 77-year-old who was well enough to voluntarily chaperone a group of high schoolers most likely had many more healthy years of life ahead of her. I think about my own mother and mother-in-law who are beloved grandmothers. Beatrice’s daughters and grandchildren are now heading into a holiday season without her there. Their lives mattered greatly, no matter their age.
October is Respect Life Month in the Catholic Church. On its website, The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states: “Every October, we consider more deeply why every human life is valuable and reflect on how to build a culture that protects life from conception to natural death.” As I’ve watched the greater Long Island community grapple with this recent disaster and support our neighbors, I’m reminded how much I do believe that every single life should be respected and valued. I encourage you to do so in a special way this month too.
The Farmingdale bus crash is a scary reminder that we are not guaranteed tomorrow, no matter who we are. We can’t take life for granted, but I’m grateful to have a faith that makes that reality a little more bearable.