Over 200 people, some carrying pictures of family members lost to violence, participated in a neighborhood procession and outdoor Mass at Mary Immaculate Church in Pacoima Aug. 20.
Described by organizers as the first in a series of activities aimed at stopping violence in the Northeast San Fernando Valley, the event drew representatives from the Los Angeles City Council and the LAPD, which cordoned off streets for the procession.
"This event is part of a continuing effort to reclaim our community," said Mario Fuentes, an organizer for One L.A.-IAF. "People are taking charge."
"We as pastors are tired of burying our parishioners," said Oblate of Mary Immaculate Father Leo LeBlanc, associate pastor, at a recent neighborhood meeting. "In the last two years we have presided over the Mass and burial of at least 14 of our parishioners who have been victims of violent death. This has to stop." Last May, the son of a Mary Immaculate Church catechist was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting while standing outside a friend's house. |