Pope Francis blesses image of children killed in Maryland fire

Last updated on: May 6, 2015 at 6:03 am by CNA Daily News

Pope Francis blesses image of children killed in Maryland fire 2015-05-06T06:03:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Rome, Italy, May 6, 2015 / 12:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- After reading a letter while visiting Rome’s North American Seminary detailing the death of two young girls in a house fire, Pope Francis blessed their picture and a small statue to be given to their parents.

“The Holy Father read the story about what happened and he was very moved by it. He prayed for the family and for the girls, and in fact he even put his hand on their picture as a sign of his affection for them,” Father Aaron Qureshi told CNA May 2.

Fr. Qureshi was ordained a priest for the archdiocese of Washington D.C. after studying at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He is the one who wrote the letter at the request of a friend who is close to the family of the deceased.

The priest, who was present for Pope Francis’ May 2 visit to the seminary where he celebrated Mass in honor of Bl. Junipero Serra, also purchased a statue of Jesus embracing two children while on a trip to the Holy Land, which will be given to the girls’ parents.

The statue, which was blessed by the Pope when he stopped to pray for the girls, will be given to their parents on Mother’s Day as a sign that Jesus is now taking care of their daughters in heaven.

Lexi and Katie Boone, aged eight and seven, passed away Jan. 19, along with their cousins Charlotte and Wesley, aged eight and six, as well as their grandparents Don Pyle, 56, and Sandra Pyle 63 when a fire destroyed the Pyle’s large, waterfront home in Annapolis, Md.

Medical reports indicate that the six died from smoke inhalation and burns after a faulty electrical outlet ignited materials inside the largest room of the Pyle’s 16,000 square foot home, including a 15 ft. Christmas tree.

Lexi and Katie are survived by their parents, Randy, 38, and Stacey, 34, who also have an infant son that was at home with them the night of the fire. Lexi had been preparing to make her first communion this spring.

For Pope Francis to stop and pray for the girls and their family was a concrete sign of the emphasis he often places on mercy, Fr. Qureshi said.

“One of the things about Pope Francis has been that he is a Pope who speaks about mercy all the time,” he noted, saying that even amid life’s tragedies we can be assured that “God is reaching out in mercy toward us.”

Fr. Qureshi expressed his belief that God reaches out “through people, and today he did that through the Holy Father, who reminded us of God’s mercy and his love for all of his children.”

In reference to the statue of Jesus and the children that Francis blessed, the priest noted that it is made from olive wood, like many works that come from the Holy Land.

“Jesus, our Lord, was a carpenter himself, so I found this statue of Jesus embracing the children, and I thought this would be an appropriate gift for the parents who lost their children,” he said.

Europe

Previous Post

May 6, 2015

Will Cardinal Tagle be the next president of international Caritas?

Next Post

May 6, 2015 'Little Boy' filmmaker to audiences: don't let critics tell you what to think

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which book has the only prayer recorded from Jesus outside of the Gospels?

Select your answer to see how you score.

1 Corinthians Revelation Acts Hebrews