On Friday, Sue Silverstein’s art class and the refugee students at Bishop Maginn High School are planning an outside art event to benefit Ukraine. The national flower of Ukraine is the sunflower, so the students are going to create a field of sunflowers with sidewalk art and accept donations for Ukrainian food and medical relief.

“We may be closing,” Sue told the students, “but we are not done.”

Sue asked if I wanted to come and paint a sunflower, I said that was best suited to Maria, so she is eager to come with me. She’s going to paint a sunflower or two. Zinnia is coming along.

The students decided this week to scale down their prom plans in honor of the suffering and death in Ukraine.

They are still having a prom, but it will be quieter and more intimate. The donations we sent will go towards making some wonderful music and we will support an Amazon Wish List over the next two weeks for prom decorations and favors. The prom – Bishop Maginn’s last – will be held in the school auditorium, not some fancy venue.

Sue said it will be an all-day event, weather permitting, the sidewalk chalk painting will start around 10 a.m.

The refugee students at Bishop Maginn are all too familiar with war and genocide and barbarism. Their families in Myanmar are still being murdered, raped, and forced to flee their homes. The world does not seem to be watching.

They understand what it feels like to be in Ukraine right now. I’m eager to be there Friday. The idea of Bishop Maginn will certainly live on.