Archbishop of Denver: Comfort in Christ

(Vatican Radio) A vigil was held in Denver Sunday in front of Aurora city hall to remember those killed in a gun rampage at a cinema in the US suburb. It has been organized by civic, community, and religious leaders. US President Barack Obama travelled to Colorado to meet with families bereaved in the massacre which left at least 12 dead and 58 wounded during a screening of the latest Batman film.

The victims ranged in age from 6 to 51 years of age.

“It’s very difficult to understand these types of events and especially when certainly one would never expect going to a movie theatre to enjoy a movie and to just have a good time with ones friends that anything like this would ever happen, “ says Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver.

He says the local Church been doing whatever it can to help those affected.

“We have been in the various local churches reaching out to the people who have been impacted by the event, our Catholic charities has offered counselling through the Regina Coeli counselling services for the next couple of weeks in all to really help people and assist people.”

Archbishop Aquila says that when he heard the news of the terrible events, it brought back memories of the Colombine school massacre in 1999.

“I had worked somewhat closely with that and with the families and doing some counselling with the young people involved and so the suffering is deep, it’s profound... so, I really try to when I listen to people, bring them to Jesus Christ, to the Good Shepherd, to the one who can provide them with comfort."

The Archbishop adds, however, that despite this terrible tragedy, he has seen an abundance of compassion and goodwill from people who are living out the corporal works of mercy in reaching out to the victims and the families. Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview with Archbishop Samuel Aquila