VANCOUVER - About 400 people attended a memorial mass Saturday morning to honour those killed in last week's deadly vehicle ramming at a Vancouver Filipino festival.
Father Amador Abundo said the mass at Delta, B.C.'s Immaculate Conception church included prayers specifically chosen for the occasion and the names of the 11 people killed and dozens more injured were read aloud.Â
Abundo, who is Filipino-ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, said the service was emotional, but that people were glad to be together to grieve.Â
He said the Filipino community comes together at times of tragedy.
"We are close to each other, even if we come from different regions. When we hear (about) Filipinos having troubles or they need some help, we always try to do what we can," he said.
The mass is one of many planned across the province over the next several days as people remain in mourning one week after an SUV drove through the Lapu Lapu Day festival.
A Tagalog mass is set to be held at Sacred Heart Parish in Delta on Sunday evening, while another event is scheduled for St. Francis de Sales in Burnaby, B.C., on Monday
Archbishop J. Michael Miller, with the Vancouver archdiocese, told a memorial mass in Vancouver on Friday that the archdiocese has launched an appeal to provide "critical support" for victims and their families and ensure outreach services are available in the months ahead.
Miller said a second collection will be made at services this weekend at all 77 Catholic parishes in the archdiocese.
Abundo said donations were collected as part of his mass but the money has not been counted yet.
The suspect in the case, 30-year-old Adam Kai-Ji Lo, is facing eight charges of second-degree murder, and police have said more are expected.
He appeared Friday in Vancouver provincial court, where a judge ordered a mental health assessment to make sure he was fit for trial.
Lo's next court appearance has been set for May 30.
This report by ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø was first published March 3, 2025.
