Church hopes prayer vigil will bring light to community reeling from Fort Hood massacre (11/6/09)

By Rebecca Bowman Woods, DisciplesWorld news and website editor

KILLEEN, Texas (11/6/09) - In the wake of a shooting spree that left 13 people dead and 30 injured at Fort Hood, a Disciples congregation in Killeen, Texas will hold a prayer vigil tonight at 6 p.m. for the community.

"We're trying to be a loving presence during this time of mourning," said Mark Bushor, pastor of Central Christian Church in Killeen. Although no church members, attenders, or their immediate families were among those killed or injured, several members were on post at nearby Fort Hood yesterday afternoon when the shootings occurred, he said.

One member was an early responder to the shootings. Another works on staff at Fort Hood, and other civilian workers were delayed in getting home yesterday because of the lockdown after the shootings, he said.

Killeen was the site of another massacre 18 years ago. On Oct. 16, 1991, 35-year-old George Herrard drove his pickup truck through the window of a Luby's cafeteria, and then went on a shooting rampage, leaving 24 people dead.

Some of those killed in 1991 were friends of church members, Bushor said. "This new massacre is opening up old wounds that have not healed."

Church member Kerry Perez was working as a respiratory therapist at a hospital when the Luby's massacre occurred. Today, Perez is a supervisor at Carl R. Darnall Medical Center at Fort Hood. She was working yesterday when Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan allegedly opened fire in the military processing center at Fort Hood Army Post.

Perez said she was amazed at the compassion and courage demonstrated by her co-workers as shooting victims were brought in. "There were so many, and yet it seemed like there was at least one person for every patient - to hold their hand, to reinforce that they were safe, and to stay with them," she said.

Hasan worked as a psychiatrist at the hospital. Although Perez did not know him, some of her co-workers recognized his photo on television, she said.

Perez was back at work today. She will be participating in the prayer vigil at Central Christian this evening, she said.

The service will include scripture readings, special music, and opportunities for individuals to pray out loud or silently, and light candles.  "We're doing our very best to shine a bright light in the darkness," said Bushor.

Besides the vigil, the congregation is reaching out to support chaplains and those who minister directly to the military and civilians at Fort Hood, and will be ready to respond as needs arise, Bushor said.

He asked Disciples to pray for the community in the days and weeks to come.

"People need their hearts and souls healed," he said.

They were remembered in our "Prayers of the People" last Sunday.