Bridgeport church holds vigil to honor victims of Florida condo collapse

People in attendance also say they're outraged over reports of danger signs at the complex ahead of the collapse Thursday.

News 12 Staff

Jun 26, 2021, 4:43 PM

Updated 1,257 days ago

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The Latino community in Bridgeport held a vigil Saturday in memory of those killed, injured and missing in the south Florida disaster.
The community at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church on the East Side of Bridgeport paused their first Communion ceremonies Saturday for what Father Rolando Torres described as a matter of urgent priority.
Torres says he is heartbroken by a torrent of graphic images from where the high-rise condo collapsed Thursday and left local families in a period of mourning.
Torres held a vigil outside his church and asked parishioners to join him in prayer.
Though first communion is a time for applause and celebration, the community still felt the tension associated with the ongoing emergency happening 1,300 miles away.
"A big Latino community here in Bridgeport, and through TV we're watching what's going on in Miami and our hearts are broken,” says resident Lydia Martinez.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal says his prevailing feeling is that signs of trouble were impossible to miss and that this disaster could have been prevented.
"There needs to be an investigation, the world is watching,” he says.