The campus carillon bells chimed at 8:25 p.m. Monday to mark the beginning of a memorial service in the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas for recently deceased sophomore Erik Nielsen.

More than 250 students and faculty, including St. Thomas President Julie Sullivan, joined in prayer and song to memorialize Nielsen’s life and reflect on their own. Nielsen suffered a brain aneurysm and died Dec. 9 at Hennepin County Medical Center. The service featured liturgy, readings by students and a homily by the Rev. Patrick Tobin.

Sophomore Reed Flood was a close friend of Nielsen’s since high school and was with him at the time of the aneurysm. He said the service was a healing experience.

“The service was very good,” Flood said. “I was able to put myself back in those moments of hurt, but at the same time, I was able to see Christ and to see Mother Mary who was really important with Erik during his time of suffering. It just consoled me during my time of suffering too. It was very powerful.”

Flood and other St. Thomas students traveled to Iowa last weekend for Nielsen’s visitation and funeral. More than 1,000 attended the visitation, according to Flood. Erik’s parents, Tim and Beth Nielsen, asked that everyone from St. Thomas attending the services in Iowa wear purple “so our friends and family could see what a wonderful community Erik chose to be part of.”

The Rev. Erich Rutten, director of Campus Ministry, said the show of support from the St. Thomas community and students who didn’t know Erik personally is also helpful for the healing process.

“Physical presence goes a long way, and for those who are mourning to experience a full chapel, that’s very supportive, almost physically,” Rutten said. “Even if you don’t know somebody personally … to just come and honor them is part of what it means to be a part of a community. So here we are at St. Thomas. We’re not just individuals. We’re part of a student body – part of a university community.”

Junior Rebekah Nelson became close friends with Nielsen freshman year and said she has been impressed by how the community has come together.

“Just seeing how all of the support is bringing out the best in people. I’m seeing how much people care, not only about Erik but about each other and making sure we’re all doing well. It’s beautiful,” Nelson said.

Nelson also said it was good to see so many students come to the service during finals week.

“For 250 students to take this much time out of their busy day to come and do this is just incredible,” Nelson said. “It just says that when it comes down to it, we want a community that takes care of each other and supports each other and realizes that St. Thomas is about more than academics and getting the best grades.”

Flood agreed the community support is helpful for those who knew Nielsen, but he also said that even strangers to Nielsen are able to find comfort in the service.

“All of us need some healing in one way or another, and the only way we can see that healing is to touch deep down in the wounds of our lives, and we all got one,” Flood said. “I think it’s a matter of allowing Christ to come into that area of hurt and purify it as opposed to letting it sit and fester, which is really tempting, but it’s not the way you’re going to come closer to God.”

Nelson said Nielsen would want people to remember to have random dance parties, a testament to what Rutten called Nielsen’s “zest for life.”

For many students, including Flood, Monday night’s memorial service is the beginning of a long healing process.

“I love him. I’m going to miss him,” Flood said. “I’m praying to him, and it’s not going to be easy. This pain isn’t going to go away in any short time, but that’s OK because I know that Erik’s going to be with me.”

Simeon Lancaster can be reached at lanc4637@stthomas.edu.