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U.S. NEWS Monday 21 May 2018

Texas mourners endure grief that ‘none of us can comprehend’

censed counselor who runs of Texas, the letters spelled who survived the shoot-
a ministry in Springfield, out a verse from 2 Corin- ing. She stopped to tell the
Missouri, took the stage to thians 4:8-9: “We are hard governor that the attack
urge congregants not to pressed on every side, but should not be turned into
suppress emotions. not crushed; perplexed, but a political battle over gun
“How do we get through not in despair; persecuted, control. Surrounded by
this? What do we do?” but not abandoned; struck television cameras, pho-
Ward asked. down, but not destroyed.” tographers and reporters,
“The answer is to let every- In a nearby church kitch- she told Abbott guns were
one grieve, including your- en, parishioners prepared not to blame.
selves.” plates of barbecue to be It was not the first time
He said people can help sold after the service, with faith in Santa Fe has been
mourning families or friends all proceeds going to vic- tested with the whole
simply by listening “be- tims’ families. country watching. In 2000,
cause dwelling in us is the At Arcadia First Baptist the city was at the cen-
spirit of God.” Church lead- Church, Texas Gov. Greg ter of a landmark U.S. Su-
ers wore green T-shirts with Abbott hugged parishio- preme Court decision that
gold lettering —the colors ners as they arrived. Among banned students from
of Santa Fe High School. In- them was Monica Brack- leading pregame prayer
side an outline of the state nell, an 18-year-old senior over loudspeakers.q

Dayspring Church senior pastor Brad Drake wears a shirt in
support of the school shooting victims Sunday, May 20, 2018, in
Santa Fe, Texas.
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
By JUAN A. LOZANO and community, these young
CLAIRE GALOFARO people, children just go-
Associated Press ing to school,” said Brad
SANTA FE, Texas (AP) — Drake, who then read the
Congregations in this names of the dead, includ-
deeply religious communi- ing a slain student who
ty near Houston gathered attended services at Day-
Sunday for their first servic- spring. “We have families
es since a gunman blasted today that are grieving a
his way into a high school grief that none of us can
and killed 10 people, with comprehend.”
one pastor lamenting the The family of the slain stu-
grief “that none of us can dent, Angelique Ramirez,
comprehend.” Just two was not at the service.
days after the deaths of She was a member of the
eight students and two church’s youth ministry,
substitute teachers, the Drake said.
pastor of the Dayspring “She was a sweet young
Church acknowledged the lady, had a style all of her
pain wracking Santa Fe, a own,” he recalled. “She
town of 13,000. “They will almost always had a new
never be forgotten in this hairstyle.” Kelly Ward, a li-