Churches, schools hold prayer services for missing families in Surfside building collapse
In the wake of the Surfside building collapse, schools and religious institutions in South Florida are organizing prayer services for those impacted.
“Our South Florida community is reeling from the Champlain Towers South Condo tragedy in Surfside,” aid Belen Jesuit Preparatory Schools in an emailed message to its community Friday. “We continue to pray for all those affected and for the rescue teams who have been working tirelessly to find survivors.”
Belen Jesuit will be praying the rosary Monday night for the families affected by the partial building collapse in Surfside, including several of their own.
Rescue crews are continuing to search through the rubble Saturday for survivors. Officials have confirmed five deaths. There are 156 people missing and 130 people accounted for.
Here’s a look at services planned so far:
▪ Belen Jesuit Preparatory Schools: The school, located at 500 SW 127th Ave, will be hosting the service on its campus at 8 p.m. Monday. While the in-person service is only open to members of the school’s community — employees, students, parents, alumni and their immediate families — it will be streamed online through Belen’s YouTube page.
Several of the people reported missing are members of the school’s community, including Belen Jesuit graduate Juan Mora Jr. and his parents, according to the email.
“In times of such sadness, we must remain faithful to our heavenly Father and place our trust in Him. Let us lift our prayers to the Blessed mother by praying the rosary as one community ... Under the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and together as a Belen family, we will place all those affected by this tragedy in the hands of Our Lady of Belen,” the email reads.
▪ Christopher Columbus High School: There’s a live, virtual rosary, Sunday at 9 p.m. on Columbus’ Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn channels.
▪ Church By the Sea: The church is asking people to pray together at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at the Church office Chapel, 1045 95th St. in Bay Harbor Islands. Face masks are required.
To RSVP call 305-866–0321 or claude@churchbythesea.org
This story was originally published June 26, 2021 at 1:01 PM.
