{"id":1844,"date":"2012-12-16T19:37:00","date_gmt":"2012-12-16T19:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/elementary-school-massacre-not-part-of-gods-plan-newtown-pastor-says\/"},"modified":"2012-12-16T19:37:00","modified_gmt":"2012-12-16T19:37:00","slug":"elementary-school-massacre-not-part-of-gods-plan-newtown-priest-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/12\/elementary-school-massacre-not-part-of-gods-plan-newtown-priest-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Elementary school massacre ‘not part of God\u2019s plan,’ Newtown priest says"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Newtown, Conn., Dec 16, 2012 \/ 12:37 pm (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- The motive behind the gunman whose Dec. 14 shooting rampage took the lives of 28 people, including 20 children, is not something that can be answered, Newtown\u2019s local Catholic priest said.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThis was not part of God\u2019s plan,\u201d Msgr. Bob Weiss of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church told ABC News Dec. 15.<\/p>\n

\tMsgr. Weiss, who accompanied police while they informed parents of their child\u2019s death following the Sandy Hook school massacre, said gunman Adam Lanza\u2019s actions show he was \u201ca man who had serious issues in his life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cWhy he\u2019d want to destroy innocent children, no one can figure out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tArchbishop Henry J. Mansell of Hartford called the shooting a \u201ca senseless act of violence that claimed the lives of many innocent people,\u201d in a recent statement.<\/p>\n

\t\"Although we will never understand the motivation behind such a heinous act, we must turn to prayer and reflection for the victims and their families during this time of need,\" he said.<\/p>\n

\t\"Keep them in your hearts, let them know that they are not alone in their grief and suffering, and pray that the comfort of God's love will help them through this difficult time.\"<\/p>\n

\tThe Archdiocese of Hartford, along with Catholic Charities, has offered to support for Newtown and its parish in \u201cany way that we can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tMsgr. Weiss said although many victim\u2019s family members \u201cknew in their hearts\u201d that their child or spouse had been killed in the attack,\u00a0he said in an interview with NBC that their grief was still \u201coverwhelming\u201d when he travelled with police to confirm that information early on the morning of Dec. 15.<\/p>\n

\tWhen he broke the news, parents asked him what the last moments of the victims\u2019 lives must have been like.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cOf course, no one can answer that question,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\tParents of the victims recalled fond memories of their children as he consoled them late into Friday evening.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cOne mother told me her daughter was going to be an angel in our Christmas pageant next Tuesday,\u201d the priest said, \u201cand another one told me how excited (her daughter) was getting because she was making her First Holy Communion this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cIt was really an amazing time for parents to bring back memories,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\tHe said the prayer vigil that packed St. Rose of Lima Parish to capacity on the evening of Dec 14. really showed what \u201ckind of town Newtown is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cPeople came together to care and to support,\u201d he said. \u201cHopefully we can just keep the community together and they can console each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tHe shared that \u201cmany of the families\u201d he spoke with following the shooting found consolation in the knowledge that even though their child was killed, \u201cat least they know their child is safe, they know where they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cAnd that\u2019s a terrible thought for any parent raising a child today to think that they might have to grow up in a world like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cI pray that the Lord just lift up these families and that they know especially their children are safe,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\tEven in the face of such violence, Msgr. Weiss said, \u201cif we work together, good things can happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThe victims of the Dec. 14 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre have now been identified as Charlotte Bacon, 6; Daniel Barden, 7; Olivia Engel, 6; Josephine Gay, 7; Ana M. Marquez-Greene, 6; Dylan Hockley, 6; Madeleine F. Hsu, 6; Catherine V. Hubbard, 6; Chase Kowalski, 7; Jesse Lewis, 6; James Mattioli, 6; Grace McDonnell, 7; Emilie Parker, 6; Jack Pinto, 6; Noah Pozner, 6; Caroline Previdi, 6; Jessica Rekos, 6; Aviele Richman, 6; Benjamin Wheeler, 6; Allison N. Wyatt, 6; Dawn Hochsprung, 47; Rachel Davino, 29; Ann Marie Murphy, 52; Lauren Rousseau, 30; Mary Sherlach, 56; and Victoria Soto, 27.<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Newtown, Conn., Dec 16, 2012 \/ 12:37 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- The motive behind the gunman whose Dec. 14 shooting rampage took the lives of 28 people, including 20 children, is not something that can be answered, Newtown’s local Catholic priest said….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1844","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-us"],"yoast_head":"\nElementary school massacre 'not part of God\u2019s plan,' Newtown priest says<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Newtown, Conn., Dec 16, 2012 \/ 12:37 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- The motive behind the gunman whose Dec. 14 shooting rampage took the lives of 28 people, including 20 children, is not something that can be answered, Newtown’s local Catholic priest said....\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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