An outdoor candlelit vigil was held for Erika Cruz and Kailin Wang, the two St. Thomas students who died in February, north of Tommie East and adjacent to the Prayer Garden last week.

The vigil lasted around half an hour and was held for people to pray and express their thoughts.

“The key feature was allowing students an opportunity to express their memories of their friends, and that’s a very powerful thing,” Blake said.

Campus Ministry Director the Rev. Lawrence Blake led the vigil, with Vice President of Student Affairs Karen Lange, Office of International Students and Scholars Director Lori Friedman and Student Body President Michael Sullivan among those in attendance.

Sophomore Haniz Surty was one of the community members that attended the vigil.

“This is the third death since I’ve been here and I’ve only been here for a year,” Surty said. “It could have been me very easily.”

The memorial happened on the future site of a student memorial that will be constructed to remember all St. Thomas students that have died.

Cruz, a first-year student, died Tuesday, Feb. 23 in Rochester from injuries suffered in a car crash that involved an impaired driver, according to Olmsted County authorities.

Wang, an international student from China, was found dead in his off-campus apartment Friday, Feb. 26.

Justin Amaker can be reached at justin.amaker@stthomas.edu.