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‘The Lord is with us in our suffering’
archived from: 2009-08-17
by: William Cone

In response to an evil act, the church was there to heal and support.

When Bishop David Zubik and three of his priests heard about the shootings at the LA Fitness gym in Collier Township, their goal was to be present to the victims and their families.

The bishop went to UPMC Mercy after getting a phone call from Father Matt McClain telling him about the tragedy where three women were killed, nine others were injured and the shooter committed suicide.

“I was so impressed to see how the hospital was handling this, especially in the crowded central lobby,” Bishop Zubik said.

With several shooting victims in surgery, he was able to speak with two of the husbands. “I was inspired by the depth of their faith,” he said.

Even though it was “one of those surreal moments,” it was good to see that “we were all on the same page,” just trying to help each other through a very difficult time.

The three priests — Fathers Joe Freedy, John Naugle and Kim Schreck — were sent to a fire station near the fitness center where family members were told to await information.

Father Freedy happened to be in the area and, upon seeing the many police cars, ambulances and helicopters, decided to see if he could help at the fitness center.

“As I walked through the crowd towards the police barrier, one young man stopped me a bit panicked and said, ‘Father, we have to pray.’ So I stopped for a second with him and prayed,” said Father Freedy, parochial vicar at Good Samaritan in Ambridge and St. John the Baptist in Baden.

Reaching the police barrier, he asked an officer if there was anything he could do.

“As I waited there, I talked to different people who were standing around; mostly emergency workers on the scene,” Father Freedy said. “One conversation I had was with a man whose daughter had been in the room where the shootings had happened; she was still inside being interviewed by the police.”

At the Bower Hill Fire Department, the priests encountered people who were anxious to hear about their loved ones.

“I spoke with two families briefly and promised that I would be praying for them,” Father Freedy said.

“Some of the most appreciative people were those there to organize the flow of information and to take care of the people there,” said Father Naugle, parochial vicar at St. Sebastian Parish in Ross Township.

The firefighters and police were thankful for the priests and counselors from the Resolve Crisis Network who were there and available to help.

“Those with whom we prayed appeared to be grateful simply for the relief from the awful solitude of waiting with no information,” Father Naugle said.

“It was as if life had paused for them; there were quiet tears and anxious waiting. The compassion and concern for those there offering assistance was evident. In the face of this great act of evil, there was a response of love and concern,” he said.

Father Freedy said it was a powerful experience, “particularly for me as a young priest, how our presence as priests has such an impact on people, bringing comfort and hope and the presence of God even into such a terrible tragedy as had occurred.”

“There was nothing special about me in particular being the priest there,” he said. “It could have been any priest on the scene and the impact would have been the same; that’s part of the beauty of the priesthood. God loves his people so much that he wants to be with them in a particular way through the presence of his priests.”

Asked by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette what he tells people in such a situation, Father Schreck, parochial vicar at St. Paul Cathedral, said, “Evil is real. For whatever reason, this man acted in a horrible way, and we suffered because of it. Some people blame God, but he is here in us. The Lord is with us in our suffering.”

Father Freedy recalled the look on people’s faces as he walked toward the crime scene.

“To me, they seemed grateful that I was there and comforted by my presence without me having to say a word. The presence of Christ in me as a priest is the only way I can explain it; people encountered him, not me. Despite, and sometimes even through, our poverty and weakness, Jesus Christ makes himself present through his priests.”

 

 

 

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