Archbishop laments ‘senseless loss of life,’ prays for victims and their families
Many communities went into mourning when they heard a gunman killed 49 people in an Orlando nightclub June 12.
Among them, thousands of kilometers away, were Vancouver Catholics.
“I join with you in expressing sadness at this senseless loss of life,” wrote Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, of Vancouver in a letter June 29.
The letter was addressed to a group of people gathered at St. Anthony of Padua Church for a prayer service to remember those killed.
The archbishop said the victims at the nightclub, Pulse, were targeted for identifying with the LGBT community.
“Tonight we are all praying for the eternal rest of those who died in this tragedy, for the full recovery of those who were injured in the attack, and for the consolation and healing of their families and friends.”
Archbishop Miller urged those grieving the deaths of 49 victims to “respond to this tragedy in a way that brings healing.”
A few local priests, including Fathers Justin Huang and Richard Soo, SJ, led the prayer service at St. Anthony of Padua.
Inside the church, 50 candles were lit: one for each of the 49 victims, and one for the gunman. Hymns and Taize chants were sung, and the names of the victims were read aloud.
Archbishop Miller wasn’t the only Canadian prelate to publicly express his sorrow over the tragic news.
“The shocking act of mass murder that took place in Orlando Sunday morning is a source of deep sadness for all who uphold the inherent value and dignity of every human life,” wrote Bishop Douglas Crosby, OMI, of Hamilton in a letter to Bishop John Noonan of Orlando June 14.
“Please be assured of my prayers, those of your brother bishops, as well as all the faithful of our country, for the souls of the deceased, for healing for the wounded, for comfort for the victims’ families, for strength for law enforcement and medical staff, and for the resilience of the American people.”
