People turned to prayer and God in Newtown, Conn., on Friday in an effort to make sense of the unthinkable after a gunman killed 26 people, including 20 young children, inside an elementary school.
Churches' doors swung open to a town shaken by one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history.
The gunman, identified by authorities as Adam Lanza, killed 20 children between 5 and 10 years old inside the school shortly before 10 a.m. Lanza reportedly shot his mother, who worked at the school.
"You have to give people a chance to pray. What else can we do in such a tragedy?" said Susan Kalbaugh, a Stephen Minister at Newtown United Methodist Church.
The small church located just up the street from the elementary school was also where an American Red Cross crisis team was stationed to counsel first responders. Its senior pastor, Rev. Mel Kawakami, was one of many clergy called to the fire house to counsel grieving parents.
In addition to leaving the sanctuary open all day for prayer and counseling, the Methodist church held a prayer vigil Friday evening, one of many throughout the town.
But the inescapable thought on everyone's mind why would God allow such a tragedy?
Bonnie Fredericks, who owns a salon up the road from the school, said images of mittens, hot chocolate and little faces at the town's annual tree lighting last week haunted her all day after the grim news become known.
"I don't know why God would let something like this happen," Fredericks said.
At St. John's Episcopal Church, Joann Hornak said the church will be open for the community for as long as people need to find solace.
"This is monumental, horrendous, beyond comprehensive. I can't image what these families are feeling," said Hornak, whose children attended Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Patricia Ryan saw the lights on at St. Rose of Lima and stopped to say a prayer.
"I just kept praying to Mary that she console the family," Ryan said.
"I saw the lights on in the church, and I had to stop," Ryan said.
chuck | Dec 16, 2012 | 1:35pm
Why incomprehensible ? We have done what previous generations have thought to be unthinkable - Remove the knowledge and laws of God from children, schools , the public square. We have made God to be like asbestos in schools. Remove it , scrub it away, ban it . We have relegated Him to the 4 walls of the church building . This killer had familiar marks . A far away and absent dad, a ( if I may say) flighty single mom , friends who excused his eccentric behavior as cool , a mushy psychologist . We used to lock up these types that are clearly struggling with mental issues .
Here’s a local example . 5 thugs from MY neighborhood robbed and killed my friend , gym owner Joe Lengel . Same story, guys with no fear of God, absent dad, drugs ,etc. Why are we surprised ? We know the path back to the America of old ,to the ways our parents and grandparents set up.
So Let’s make a diff in our sphere . My son and I mentor a dad-less 15 yr old who does computer work for us at our store . What other ideas do you have ?
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