Community Corner

Abington Holds Candlelight Vigil for Newtown Victims

.

Ā 

Last night, Abington residents came together for a candlelight vigil to mourn the death of those killed in the Newtown, Conn. massacre last week.

Neighbors braved the cold and gathered at Conway field in Ardsley, along with elected officials and clergy.

Find out what's happening in Abingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Theresa Keenan-Flite organized the event in a very short amount of time ā€” about three days ā€” by utilizing social media.

ā€œWe hope this will give the community a chance to mourn and we hope and pray this doesnā€™t happen ever again,ā€ she said as set up for the event on the field in the light rain.

Find out what's happening in Abingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Neighbors stood on the field holding candles; children took time to sign a poster that will be mailed to the residents of Newtown, Conn.Ā 

State Rep. Madeleine Dean, Montgomery County Commissioner Josh Shapiro and Abington Township Commissioners John Speigelman and Stephen Kalinoski spoke, as did members of several religious organizations. Dean said we have to ā€œdemand more of our culture.ā€

ā€œWe must and we must all do it together in whatever role we have ā€¦ Itā€™s incumbent upon us to amend our health care policies; itā€™s incumbent upon us to amend our laws; itā€™s incumbent upon us to demand more of our culture. So I guess, in the end, what I want to say is ā€¦ let the little children of Newtown lead the way.ā€Ā 

Michael Quinn, a Glenside resident and a member of the Philadelphia Boys Choir helped end the vigil by leading the community in ā€œAmazing Graceā€ and ā€œSilent Night.ā€ Quinn was joined by former Philadelphia Boys Choir members Aidan and Ethan Welsh, both of Ambler.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

Weā€™ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here