Overflow Crowds Fill Newtown Church For Christmas Day Mass Less Than Two Weeks After School Massacre
NEWTOWN, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) - There are wreathes on the doors of homes in Newtown, Conn. this Christmas, but there is a palpable pall over the town, WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported.
The American flag continues to fly at half-staff in front of Newtown Town Hall a week and a half after one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history.
WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reports from Newtown
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Cut-outs of angels are marked with the names of the 20 first graders who were killed inside Sandy Hook Elementary School on the morning of Dec. 14. Six adults were also killed inside the school before gunman Adam Lanza killed himself as first responders closed in.
A large pink heart is set up out front, with teddy bears placed at its base.
WEB EXTRA: Remembering The Newtown Victims
A painted sheet has also been hung up outside town hall, which reads 'Our Hearts Are With You' and lists towns all across Conn.
The pastor of a church in Newtown that was attended by eight of the child victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting has told parishioners that this Christmas Day "is the day we begin everything all over again.''
The Rev. Robert Weiss spoke at the second of four Masses at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church.
Recalling the events of eleven days ago, Weiss said, "The moment the first responder broke through the doors, we knew good always overcomes evil.''
Today, he says, "We know Christmas in a way we never ever thought we would know it.''
An overflow crowd of several hundred people attended Christmas Eve services at Trinity Episcopal Church in Newtown. They were greeted by the sounds of a children's choir, in a sanctuary hall decorated with green wreaths and red bows.
The service took on a celebratory tone, and made only a few vague references to the shooting.
Newtown continues to receive an outpouring of support and sympathy from other communities. For Christmas, police officers from elsewhere are on duty to give local officers a break.
(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
