Mount St. Mary’s and Loyola mourn deaths of students

Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg and Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore are mourning the deaths of two of their students.

Catherine Carnes, a Mount St. Mary’s freshman from Monkton, collapsed on campus Sept. 1 while playing volleyball with fellow students and was rushed to Gettysburg Hospital, where she was declared dead.

Evan Girardi, a Loyola senior, was found unresponsive in his residence hall Sept. 6 and was transported to Union Memorial Hospital, where he died. In a letter to the Loyola community, Jesuit Father Brian F. Linnane, president, said a medical investigation will be conducted. Girardi’s family informed the university that their son had a heart condition from birth.

According to a Mount St. Mary’s spokesperson, Carnes was a graduate of the McDonogh School. She had joined the Mount equestrian team, and was planning a Labor Day weekend whitewater rafting trip with the Outdoor Adventure Club.

The university plans to plant a tree on campus in her honor, with a plaque reading, “To see with our hearts and not with our eyes is where the truth lies.” It was Carnes’ e-mail signature.

Loyola held a Mass in Girardi’s memory Sept. 6 at the Alumni Memorial Chapel, and counseling services were made available to those who needed them. A formal on-campus memorial and funeral arrangements were still being arranged Sept. 7.