Our Lady of Lourdes honors Pulse shooting victims with prayer service

By Peter Houston-Hencken

The Cathedral of Our Lady Lourdes held a prayer gathering on Monday to honor the victims of the Orlando shooting. The shooting took place June 12 when an individual entered the Pulse Nightclub and ended 49 lives.

The service consisted of hymns, prayer and a message by the Rev. Curtis Seidel. Seidel’s message was that people around the world need to realize what is most important: love and relationships.

“The message here today is the importance of lives,” Seidel said. “Relationships are built upon love and love needs to seek out the good of others. This can only be done by openly confronting the evils that are in our world. By recognizing them and still seeking to overcome them, that’s how relationships are restored.”

While the service focused on Christian themes, the Cathedral invited anyone from the Spokane community to join the gathering and offer prayers and thoughts.

The service ended with a prayer and the ringing of the cathedral’s bell. The bell was tolled 49 times. One toll for each death at the Pulse Nightclub.

“In the midst of this tragedy it’s important to step back and before moving forward too quickly to take the moment to grieve and to recognize what is lost and what is important in our lives,” Seidel said.

Seidel hopes that his message and the prayers from the church have helped not only those who attended the gathering but those in Orlando to grieve and find comfort.

“Certainly we as Catholics believe that through our prayers God helps [the victims and their families] and comforts them,” Seidel said. “Hopefully throughout the country they know that these sorts of things are taking place and that they’re not alone in this time of tragedy.”

Peter Houston-Hencken

Peter Houston-Hencken is a recent graduate of Whitworth University with a degree in journalism. Peter currently works for a background investigation firm but is passionate about freelancing on the weekends. Peter grew up as the son of a Presbyterian pastor. He feels strong in his faith and his commitment to Jesus Christ. He aspires to have a career in journalism and help people get more informed about the events in their communities.