“These doggies seem to be crying”: mourning lives in the Sainte-Rose-de-Lima church | Tragedy in Laval
Dozens, if not hundreds, of stuffed animals were dropped off at the church Sainte-Rose-de-Lima since the tragedy in Laval was played out on Wednesday.
Lanterns burn in memory of the young victims of the Laval tragedy in the choir of the Sainte-Rose-de-Lima church, where a mass was celebrated on Friday in front of a still shaken community.
One of these children, I baptized him, and I'm going to do the funeral in a week, confides the priest Michel Bouchard.
It was obvious that Mr. Bouchard gives this homily before his community, which has been described many times as tightly knit during the last days.
Thanks to the sensitivity of his words, the man of the Church was able to soothe the sadness of some 200 people who came to meditate during the ceremony, which lasted an hour.
“This drama has tested us deeply, which makes us wonder about life and the meaning of life […]. And yet, life is the most important thing. »
— Michel Bouchard, parish priest of Sainte-Rose-de-Lima
Father Michel Bouchard paid tribute to the families affected by the tragedy in Laval this morning during a special mass organized at the Sainte -Rose-of-Lima.
Mr. Bouchard invited those in attendance to pray for the children, families and daycare staff.
Relatives of the family of one of the young victims – Jacob Gauthier, four and a half years old – were present at this ceremony.
Even [his father] wasn't able to be here this morning, he's upset and I can understand that. It's difficult what we are going through, testifies a close family member. It's amazing to see people, how nice they can be here.
Dozens of stuffed animals were placed in front of the altar to accompany the two children during their last journey .
“This morning, in meditation, I was in front of this little dog, a little doggie, who seemed to look at me and say very sadly: "What is life?" »
— Michel Bouchard, parish priest of Sainte-Rose-de-Lima
This mass is in addition to the candlelight vigils held since Wednesday in order to get through this period of collective mourning.
Prayer is there to help us endure, says Bouchard. It does not replace missing persons, of course, but over time, it helps us get through it.
To accompany the ceremony with music, the pieces Si fragile, by Luc De Larochellière, and Take a child by the hand, by Yves Duteil, were performed. A minute of silence was also observed.
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With information from Jacaudrey Charbonneau and Hadi Hassin
