WNYers pray for victims in CT shooting

EGGERTSVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) - The murders of so many innocent lives in Connecticut left western New Yorkers aghast. Many turned to prayer Friday night at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Eggertsville.

Although it happened hundreds of miles away, WNYers felt compelled to come together to pray for the victims' families. At St. Peter's, those who came out underwent a kind of spiritual debriefing.

Mother Barbara Price said, "The one that strikes me in my heart was the scene of the little children being walked out of their classroom in a row, hanging on to each other. Images of suffering and tragedy and death. Where is God? God was in the love and the creativity, the generativity, that led to those children being on Earth in the first place. God was with the first responders and the people here tonight praying in this room and all over the country."

Parishioner Maria Lauria said, "It's almost Christmas and it's got to be very, very difficult for those families that had gifts wrapped and under their trees with children that aren't going to be able to open them."

"I just think it's nice to be surrounded by people lifting up the Lord's name and saying prayers for everyone who needs it in this time. Personally, for me, it gives me a sense of calmness," said parishioner Erin Zito.

And parishioner Crace Lauria added, "Your safety's never really guaranteed anywhere you go. All you can do is when you leave the house you pray all the time that everything's going to be okay and let your loved ones know that you love them, all the time."