Following Tuesday’s school shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two teachers dead, the Rev. ClayOla Gitane, rector at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, said she felt a need to do something to help locals grieve.

In a short span, she helped organize a bell ringing memorium on Wednesday, the placement of a memorial on Thursday, and a candlelight vigil set for Friday night.

“I felt it was important to do,” she said of the events. “This church is a voice of the community. I wanted to coalesce our lament.”

At 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 27, Gitane’s church, Dungeness Valley Lutheran Church, and Trinity United Methodist Church sponsor a candlelight service inside St. Luke’s, 525 N. Fifth Ave.

Because of anticipated inclement weather, the event is inside with masks recommended out of respect for the more vulnerable members of the community, she said.

“Our goal is to offer a time and place for lament for all in the community, no matter what their stance on faith,” Gitane said.

“We welcome the participation of everyone.”

The ecumenical and interfaith service starts with a song, a statement, a group prayer (with verbiage provided), candle lighting and the names of the 21 victims read aloud with a hand bell rung after each name is read.

Afterward, participants are encouraged to walk St. Luke’s labyrinth to pray and reflect and/or write a prayer and tie it to the church’s fence.

Earlier in the week, Gitane and St. Luke’s Liturgy Planning Team agreed to stop its usual Winchester chime and hymn at noon on Wednesday and replace it with a peal, bell ring, for each victim in the shooting.

Participants of its Soup’s On free lunch on Wednesdays program stood for the three-plus minutes in silence to honor the fallen, Gitane said.

Gitane, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, said as a priest her job is to lead people in their lament and ask difficult questions.

“We have to ask ourselves hard questions and act,” she said.

On Thursday, Gitane made signs with each victim’s name, splattered them in red ink, and laminated them to place in front of the church’s sign. She said spreading the ink was emotional and difficult.

At press time, more victims’ signs were drying before being placed by the sign; a Thursday night service was also planned.

For more information about the Friday service, call 360-683-4862.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Rev. ClayOla Gitane, rector at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, spreads ink to symbolize the blood of two victims at the Uvalde, Texas school shooting.