ITHACA NY--Concerned Ithaca citizens from various religious and activist affiliations framed a circular gathering of prayer, meditation and discourse last night in response to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. The assembly, held in DeWitt Park, resonated with tension between conflicting passions: despair for unmitigated suffering, and naked anger for the government’s response to such distress. The vigil allowed spiritual leaders of many faiths, as well as local residents, to share sentiments with the community. Common to each sermon was an element of shared suffering and compassion. The neutral messages of commonality were often underlined by forceful political statements. “This...