Members of the church community at Our Lady Help of Christians in Newton reacted to the unimaginable deaths of three of their longtime parishioners on Monday, with Father Dan Riley calling the trio, “Three of the most wonderful people.”
On Tuesday, family members of the victims embraced, wiped tears and grabbed hands as they left the courthouse after the suspect’s arraignment.
“Italian tradition — family is very tight and they represented that,” said Carl Pasquarosa of the St. Mary of Carmen Society. “And to think they were all together, not surprising, tragic, sad.”
Gilda “Jill” D’Amore and her husband Bruno D’Amore were scheduled to renew their wedding vows on Sunday as part of celebrations for their 50th wedding anniversary. Ryan said a friend then found the D’Amores in their home with Lucia Arpino, Gilda’s mother, after the couple did not arrive at their church as planned.
Bruno, Jill and Lucia were involved with the St. Mary of Carmen Society, a Newton-based Italian-American group supporting immigrants from Italy in Newton.
Each year, 97-year-old Lucia would take part in the organization’s annual festival.
“We did see her annually following the Madonna as we processed through the streets of Nonantum and I’m sure it was something she lived for to be there every year,” Pasquarosa said.
This year, the family will be remembered on the last day of the festival, which is scheduled to run from July 12 to July 16.
In the meantime, the family will be in the prayers of many Tuesday night as their church plans to hold a memorial service at 6:30 p.m.
Cardinal Sean O’Malley of the Archdiocese of Boston also shared a statement on Tuesday.
“As priests, we serve to minister to people in times of great loss and tragedy,” O’Malley said, in part. “Often words are not enough to help families and friends come to terms with the loss of a loved one. We look to God for answers. We seek to understand. Often, we simply cannot make sense of what has happened. But our faith sustains us, and in this moment of enormous pain, we know that God is with us always”.
“This week and for the weeks, months, and years ahead, the brutal and senseless murders of Gilda D’Amore, her husband, Bruno D’Amore, and Gilda’s mother, Lucia Arpino, will stay with us as we come to terms with this unimaginable loss,” O’Malley continued.
O’Malley said he is currently in Rome where he said he will offer mass for Gilda, Bruno and Lucia at St. Peter’s Basilica.