Posted on 12/16/2012 2:05:59 PM PST by Steelfish
Newtown Church Evacuated After Threat
Armed tactical response unit members moved past the St. Rose of Lima Church, which was evacuated following a threat. Kevin Hagen for The Wall Street Journal By Jennifer Levitz
NEWTOWN, Conn. – A parish that has become a haven for mourning in this stricken community received another shock Sunday when the packed noon service was evacuated because of threat.
St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church was evacuated around 12:30 p.m. after it received “a menacing call that threatened to disrupt the Mass in a violent way,” said Brian Wallace, a spokesman for the Diocese of Bridgeport.
By 2 p.m., law enforcement officials, including a SWAT team, were still combing the church campus, which had been closed for the day.
(snip)
The arrival of fear at a church that has become a safe haven for the grieving was surreal.
Parishioner Nancy Elis was distraught as she stood on the church lawn, saying the community felt like a “war zone.”
“Is this Newtown? Is this Newtown, Connecticut?” she asked incredulously.
The incident came as local residents were filling pews across this town Sunday seeking solace.
(snip)
Mr. Wallace said after learning of the threat, Monsignor Robert Weiss interrupted the priest who was giving the homily and announced that Mass was over. Parishioners left quietly with sadness in their faces, Mr. Wallace said.
He said the church, which is preparing to hold eight funerals later this week, will open again soon but that on Sunday it would remain “locked down.”
Ruby O’Neill, wife of Connecticut State Representative Arthur O’Neill, said that as the overflow crowd filed out, “people were crying, but orderly and slow moving.”
“Whoever is terrorizing the church right now,” she said, “is not even letting us pray.”
(Excerpt) Read more at stream.wsj.com ...
“Whoever is terrorizing the church right now,” she said, “is not even letting us pray.”
Probably a Westboro Baptist phone in prank.
But, you know, you can pray anywhere, at any time. No one can stop you from talking to God.
I figure it is some left wing lunatic who has equated guns with the right, and the right goes to church on Sunday, so therefore the people at the church are as guilty as the gunman!
The age of the internet and everyone wanting to be part of the story, so it is the “cool” thing to pull evil pranks like this.
May the miserable excuse for a human being who called in the threat have an “untimely” accident.
I wouldn’t be surprised. They are probably revving up right now to “Boycott” the funerals of those innocent little babies.
Not to worry folks. The mourner in chief is coming to disrupt your entire community for his photo op.
Hmmm, unless the threat involved a bomb, it seems to me they should have let everyone stay inside, and ring the Church with SWAT. Making them all go outside, standing around in front, just means they are easier targets for someone who would want to shoot at them.
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