Photos from Annunciation in Mourning

Saturday, I visited the memorial for the shooting victims at the front of Annunciation Church in Minneapolis.

While yet two miles away, another church's digital sign called for prayer. A block-and-a-half away where I parked, signs of community grief appeared. Approaching the church, its own sign expressed gratitude and hope.

The first group encountered at the nearside of the memorial were 20 or so Latinos with a priest speaking Spanish leading their way.

Then, the impact of this event shown through the scores of buckets-now-vases creating a floral garden radiating the sentiments of the many who visited.

More direct, were the messages written.

A mother watched on as her young children wrote chalk messages on the sidewalk, while others kneeled in prayer, stood in embrace, or just wandered silently.

Off to the side of the crowd, I talked to a priest who said there's been no date set for reopening the church--that they need to order some new pews. Yesterday morning's Mass, however, was still being held and moved into the school. I'm betting it was as overflowing as these buckets of flowers.