Pope Francis offers condolences to all affected by Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy, sends 'assurance of his spiritual closeness'
Sophie Carson
Pope Francis has offered his condolences to all who were affected by the Waukesha parade tragedy.
The pope passed on the message in a letter sent from his secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki.
Pope Francis wanted to convey “the assurance of his spiritual closeness” to those affected by the tragedy, Parolin wrote.
The pope “commends the souls of those who died to almighty God's loving mercy and implores the divine gifts of healing and consolation upon the injured and bereaved,” Parolin wrote. “He joins you in asking the Lord to bestow upon everyone the spiritual strength which triumphs over violence and overcomes evil with good.”
An excerpt from the letter was shared with media outlets by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
Six people have died from their injuries after they were struck by a driver who plowed his SUV through the parade. More than 60 people were injured.
Darrell Brooks Jr., 39, has been charged with five counts of first-degree intentional homicide and will face at least a sixth after 8-year-old Jackson Sparks died of his injuries Tuesday. Sparks was marching in the parade with his baseball team.
Among the other victims are three members of the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies, a local dance group for grandmothers, a spouse of one of the Dancing Grannies members, and a bank employee who was also a grandmother.
In a video statement Monday, Listecki called the tragedy in Waukesha a “senseless act."
“When confronted by the shock and the grief encountered by our brothers and sisters in Waukesha, it is now important for us to turn to our faith, which offers us God’s loving presence and consolation,” Listecki said in the video.
“I know that people of every faith and tradition will call their communities together and offer to God their sense of confidence in his ability to guide us through this difficult period and offer hope and healing,” he continued.
Members of the Catholic Community of Waukesha, which consists of four parishes, were also marching in the parade when they were struck. Among the injured was the Rev. Patrick Heppe, a parish priest.
Heppe suffered a concussion and spent Sunday night in a hospital, but he has been released.
“At this time, he is resting, maintaining his sense of humor and his prognosis is good. He appreciates your prayers and is thinking of and praying for our community,” Monica Cardenas, director of stewardship and communication, said in a statement.
Contact Sophie Carson at (414) 223-5512 or scarson@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @SCarson_News.