Sunday prayers mix grief, gratitude

MINNEAPOLIS — Across the Twin Cities, in English, Spanish and Greek, the prayers rose up Sunday.

Prayers of peace for grieving families. Prayers of strength for those still searching the Mississippi River. And prayers of gratitude from those who were spared.

At St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, an estimated 1,400 people gathered Sunday night for an interfaith service.

"It takes a lot of faith to live in a world where accidents, illnesses and injustices do their worst to the ones we love," Gov. Tim Pawlenty said. "Great is your faithfulness."

The Rev. Peg Chemberlin told congregants that although they "shared anger and anguish," the city had rallied in crisis.

"It's important that we stand together and say, Minnesota, your heart is full of courage and compassion. The heroes in this moment, like the tears, are many," she said.

In a leafy St. Paul neighborhood, about 70 parishioners gathered at St. George Greek Orthodox Church to ask for the recovery of Christine Sacorafas, one of eight people who have been missing since the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed Wednesday.

Her cousin, Michelle Berge, stood quietly and alone in the back row as the Rev. Richard Demetrius Andrews asked God for compassion and comfort.

"And we ask you, Lord, to return Christine to her family and her community," he said.

"We don't know where she is," Andrews said at the conclusion of the service. "There has been no word. As far as I know, they have not even found her car. This is a very agonizing time for the family ... not knowing if she's alive, not knowing if she's injured or how badly."

Sacorafas, 45, of White Bear Lake, was headed to teach a Greek folk-dancing class at St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church, which she attended, when she got caught in a traffic jam. She called a fellow teacher minutes before the collapse and has not been heard from since.

At least five people were killed and about 100 injured when the concrete-and-steel span abruptly gave way in rush-hour traffic, sending dozens of vehicles and tons of debris into the river.

At Holy Rosary Church in Minneapolis, the faithful thanked God for the "angels" who rescued 50 terrified children from a school bus when the span collapsed Wednesday.

Some of those children sat in the first few rows, then laid bouquets of flowers at a candlelit shrine to the Virgin Mary.

The Rev. Jim Barnett said that the church considers the survival of its children a miracle and that the service was designed in part to help them heal. "Some of the kids are still hurting. An awful lot are confused," he said.

Holy Rosary held a funeral Saturday for produce-salesman Artemio Trinidad-Mena, 29, who was taking the bridge home from work. After his widow, Abundia Martinez, said goodbye to her husband, the church baptized her 2-month-old daughter.

Material from The Chicago Tribune is included in this report.