ORTIGAS: And today, I can just imagine the joy of those angels, of those little ones, as they gather around Jesus, as they celebrate their Christmas in Heaven. HERZ: At the first morning mass, Father Ortigas offered what he said was a vision of those laid little kids. It just doesn't feel the same, especially thinking about all those little kids that aren't gonna get to celebrate this year. I mean, I think the community's done a great job of still trying to keep the holiday spirit, but it just doesn't - it's very surreal to look at all the memorials still out and think that, you know, this is normally a time we'd be celebrating. Still, for Carrie Janetino, it was also troubling to be in Newtown now.ĬARRIE JANETINO: It still doesn't feel like Christmas. He and his wife say it was hard to be far away from here in the aftermath of the tragedy. HERZ: Janetino is a Newtown native who lives in Wisconsin now. And so, I'm going to choose to take comfort in that. Maybe the snow wasn't an accident for Christmas morning here.
And now to see it again with just this sort of light covering of snow on top of the toys and the flowers and stuff like that, I mean, there's something very heartbreaking about it, but there's also, I think, something really peaceful about that. MARK JANETINO: Just walking up to this memorial here, we were here a few days ago and saw it for the first time, both broke down into tears. He stopped by the memorial on his way to a mass with his wife Carrie and young daughter, Sadie. It seemed like a bit of benediction for Mark Janetino(ph). Newtown is just far enough north in Connecticut to have gotten a sprinkling of snow last night. Rose of Lima, a memorial much like others here in town holds a crowd of teddy bears, toys and cards. Then, he reminded them of the words on a large banner over the entrance to the church, a banner that showed a dark night with one star beaming its light upon a manger.įATHER IGNACIO ORTIGAS: Jesus reminds us today, he says, the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. At the 7:30 mass this morning, Father Ignacio Ortigas told his parishioners he remembered that day when words could not console anybody, a dark day, he said. Eight of the church's families lost children in the shooting at the school where 20 students and six staff were killed.
#Charmas in newtown series#
Rose of Lima Church held the last of a sad series of funerals this past weekend.
Mark Herz of member station WSHU visited one Catholic Church where parishioners have been especially hard hit by the violence. In a season when people normally celebrate, Newtown is searching for solace. SIEGEL: It's less than two weeks since the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary.
#Charmas in newtown full#
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Hail, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. And today, in Newtown, Connecticut, people came together to pray.