BRIDGEPORT—Bishop Frank J. Caggiano will celebrate Mass at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Newtown this evening at 7 pm to commemorate the 9th anniversary of remembrance for these children and adults lost in the Sandy Hook School shootings.
“Even on the darkest days in our life, there is hope,” Bishop Frank J. Caggiano said in December 2016 on Gaudete Sunday to the 400 who gathered at St. Margaret Shrine for Mass and the dedication of the Sandy Hook Memorial.
Referring to the December 14, 2012 deaths of 20 first-graders and six teachers in an act of gun violence, the bishop said, “We experienced a day of deep darkness. The souls of so many were challenged so deeply. You and I and the whole nation were in shock.”
Noting that all that the unspeakable loss is a continuing source of pain and suffering for the families and the community, the bishop said, “No matter how deep the pain, there is a gift that no one can take from us: hope is born in the power of the love of God. No matter how profound the loss, his love can pierce through the pain. We come to remember the Newtown tragedy not as people look at history or even as a community resolved to love one another, but as a people of hope.”
Monsignor Robert Weiss, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish, will celebrate the Mass with the bishop. In the parish bulletin last weekend, he wrote that December 14 is a day that no one will ever forget.
“On this day we had clear evidence of evil as gun violence in this country claimed another 26 lives of innocent teachers and beautiful boys and girls. It is a dark day in history, but we need to gather in hope that these children show us the way to unity and respect for life. We will pray for those who died, for consolation for their families and for the well-being of our community.”
“We showed the world the power of unity and faith as we came together on that December day…let us continue to show the world that faith and unity can make the world a place of peace and goodness.”
Memorial Masses will be celebrated throughout the day at 6:45 and 9 am, and 7 pm. The church will remain open all day for private prayer or to light a candle of remembrance.
