About 30 St. Thomas community members attended a Campus Ministry event Tuesday afternoon to discuss current issues in the archdiocese and to pray for the church and people affected by recent scandal.

Of those in attendance, about half were students, including some from the University of Minnesota.

The Rev. Erich Rutten said Campus Ministry wanted to provide a confidential setting for those feeling “betrayed, hurt or shocked” to talk about the news.

“We want to open the opportunity for people to express how they reacted and how they see this is impacting the community,” Rutten said.

He said the Catholic studies department is in the midst of finding replacements for this week’s remaining 5:05 p.m. daily Mass celebrations, which the Rev. Michael Keating usually presided over. Keating is on a voluntary leave of absence from the university following a civil lawsuit filed Monday that alleged he sexually abused a teenage girl between 1997 and 2000.

Campus Ministry also scheduled a holy hour for prayer and reflection Tuesday night in the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Anastasia Straley can be reached at stra0669@stthomas.edu.