Youth and death – two words when paired together call to mind the most unimaginable heartache. It was with profound sadness that on June 16 we learned of the terrible news that occurred overnight in Berkeley, California - the death of six young students and the injuries to seven others.

The last of the funeral services have now taken place in Ireland and most of the injured students have returned home to continue medical treatment there. For several, the road to recovery will be long and hard. All of those directly involved will never forget the details of the tragedy.

The staff of the Irish International Immigrant Center (IIIC), along with the Irish Pastoral Centre in Boston, have been supporting Irish J-1 summer students for many years as they land in Boston seeking employment, accommodation, and a good experience in the United States. The four-month J-1 Summer Work and Travel Visa program has been around since 1961, and thousands of young Irish men and women have enjoyed wonderful summers in Boston, and on the Cape. The J1-IWT program is a one year program that is available to Irish university students, and recent graduates, but the visa is tied to internships in the students’ area of study. There are currently over 1200 Irish J1-IWT students in the United States. The IIIC sponsors and supports 260 of these students.

This year, hundreds of J1- Summer Irish students recently arrived in Boston – many of whom are visiting the US for the first time, and all of them are of similar ages and backgrounds to those in California. The students visit our Center daily, and our staff and interns provide a comprehensive range of information and welcome services. We provide Irish tea and biscuits hoping to be a home-away-from-home, safe place for them. Just like those young people in California, our J-1 students eagerly anticipated the wonderful experience of living and working in America during the summer recess. We listen to their success stories about finding the perfect job or apartment and, yes, we listen to their problems too and try to help where we can.

The aim of the IIIC J-1 program is to ensure a safe, successful, and enjoyable summer for all of the students. IIIC executive director Ronnie Millar says: “the J1-er’s are good, young men and women who remind me of my nieces and nephews from back home. They all want to work, and experience America in a good and positive way. These days, their No. 1 challenge is to find affordable accommodation in Boston. Many of them came to our Memorial Mass for the Berkeley tragedy, and were obviously saddened about what had happened.”

Despite this tragedy and the grief it has brought, each summer will continue to bring the best of Ireland’s young people to these shores and society here is all the better for it.

Youth offers the promise of happiness yet this tragedy is a sad reminder that life is a lot more fragile than we dare to think. We ask that you keep the victims, their families, and friends in your thoughts and prayers.

Finally, we wish to extend our gratitude to all the staff at the San Francisco Irish Immigration Pastoral Center who have, since the tragedy, worked day and night to help the J1’ers and their families. An account has been established to raise funds for the students affected by this tragedy and their families. For further information, and to make a donation, go to: gofundme.com/J1tragedyfund