byMaria del Pilar Guzman Pilot Staff
Archbishop Henning delivers his homily at the Mass celebrated at St. Patrick Parish in Lawrence April 11 for the victims of the Santo Domingo nightclub roof collapse. Pilot photo/Maria del Pilar Guzman
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LAWRENCE -- Flanked on one side of the altar of St. Patrick Parish, Lawrence, stood the imposing image of Our Lady of Altagracia, the patroness of the Dominican Republic. By its side, the blue, red, and white flag of the Caribbean nation.
Both of these features set the emotional tone for a Special Mass celebrated by Archbishop Richard G. Henning on April 11 to honor the victims of the Jet Set nightclub roof collapse in the country's capital, Santo Domingo, on April 8, which has claimed the lives of more than 200 people.
With Lawrence having the largest Dominican population in the state of Massachusetts, Archbishop Henning, in his opening remarks, told the people that filled the pews, "It is a privilege to be with all of you tonight at this church, and I would like to express my condolences at this sad time for Dominicans in this community and around the world."
Centering his reflections on the Gospel proclaimed at the Mass, taken from John -- in which Jesus tells his disciples, "The Father will honor whoever serves me" -- the archbishop drew the attention of those gathered at St. Patrick's to the well-known phrase "Seeing is believing." However, because we often become disappointed by what our physical eyes show us, he said, we should change the expression to "Believe to see" and use "the eyes of the heart" instead.
"In the Gospel according to St. John, Jesus is teaching us to discern the world not only with our physical eyes but with the eyes of the heart, don't you think?" he said, adding, "Jesus said, 'Seeing me is seeing the Father. Knowing the Father is knowing me.'"
It is precisely in times like these, marked by tragedy and sadness, that we must use "the eyes of the heart," Archbishop Henning said, to believe that those "who have passed away are not forgotten by God. It is for this reason that Christ has come, offering his life to give us new hope."
The tragedy hit close to home for Father Jose Ignacio Montero Burgos, the parochial vicar at St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Lawrence, and one of the concelebrants of the Mass. A native of the Dominican Republic, Father Montero Burgos told The Pilot that he knew some of the victims of the collapse, including the twin brother of his catechist.
"I feel like a family member died in that tragedy, and other people I knew. While communication has been difficult with everything going on over there, I'll be contacting family members in the coming days," he said.
Despite being profoundly touched by the situation, Father Montero Burgos said that he felt loved and supported by Archbishop Henning, not only for making himself available that night to celebrate the Special Mass with the Dominican community of Lawrence but also because he had personally reached out to him upon hearing about the tragedy.
"On Tuesday, Archbishop Henning called me to express his condolences. When he asked if any family members were (at the club), I explained to him the same situation -- that a very close person, the brother of my catechist, was there. It made me feel not alone," he said.
Elizabeth Valdera, who hails from the Dominican province of El Cibao, echoed Father Montero Burgos's sentiments, saying Archbishop Henning's presence at the Mass brought great consolation and joy for her.
"It was a pleasure, a true blessing when I was informed (that Archbishop Henning would come) by the many St. Patrick's social media groups I'm part of," she said.
The day that followed the tragedy at Jet Set nightclub saw uninterrupted work of debris removal to rescue survivors and help the wounded. However, the rescue efforts ended on the night of April 9, giving way to the body recovery phase.
Jose Genao, a former colonel in the fire department of the city of La Vega in the Dominican Republic who now lives in Lawrence, said that, during his 46 years in the position, he had never experienced a tragedy quite like it.
"I have participated in children's rescue operations, rescues of overturned vehicles -- some with 20, 30 passengers inside them -- but I have never witnessed something like what transpired at the nightclub," he said.
Even from afar, Genao felt close to his fellow Dominicans, finding it comforting that the church, through Archbishop Henning, cares deeply about this "community facing such a terrible loss," he said.
Indeed, a sense of closeness, unity, and patriotism permeated throughout the Special Mass, which concluded with the national anthem of the Dominican Republic wholeheartedly sung by those in attendance.