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Sandy Hook: Five Years Later
In December 2017, Presbyterians Today, the magazine published by the Presyterian Mission Agency, featured an article on the work Lea Attanasio, a Deacon at Valley, and her colleague have done, using poetry to help those in our community heal. It features several poems of adults and children alike. You can read it HERE>> 
Prayers from around the world
In the days and weeks and even months following Sandy Hook, we received an outpouring of cards, letters, posters prayer shawls, snowflakes, books, pictures, donations, and above all, love and care from our sisters and brothers in Christ. Cards and letters were displayed on our Angel Tree for the month following the incident, a completely different set each week. Prayer shawls and sympathy cards were donated to the people of Newtown. We were so grateful to know we were being held in the hearts of so many others around the country, and indeed, the world. Our Angel Tree, which on December 16, 2012, became our Prayer Tree. 
Anniversary Observances On December 14, 2013, young and old alike gathered on a slightly snowy Saturday morning for a meditative worship service, reading scripture, singing and praying together, Then we tied 30 fleece blankets which we donated to Project Linus, an agency that serves seriously ill hospitalized children. We believe that "Love Wins." On the Second Anniversary, we gathered at 9 AM Sunday morning for a quiet time of meditation and prayer. Following our regular 10 AM worship, we held "Love Fest," at which we assembled 14 Birthday boxes for children staying at Danbury Women's Shelter, we decorated cookies to take to homebound members when we went caroling later that day, and we made Christmas ornaments to give to friends and family. On the fifth anniversary, the Brookfield Ecumenical Clergy group gathered in the evening at Valley to host a community-wide service of Prayers for Peace and Healing. Born out of an idea in our Session, we wanted to make space for those remembering and honoring the event at Sandy Hook, but also those affected by other events, whether national tragedy or personal circumstance, and all who struggle during the holiday season. |
“We are the body of Christ,
and individually members of it..." ~ 1 Corinthians 12 Our Brothers and Sisters in Christ reached out to us in countless ways in the days and weeks following the tragedy on December 14, 2012. We received letters, e-mail, phone calls, prayers, messages on Facebook, cards, prayer shawls, offers of help, snowflakes, prayer cards, books, poems and monetary donations from: Alabama First United Methodist Church, Huntsville California First Presbyterian Church, Burlingame The Byde Family, Cambria Lakeside Community Presbyterian Church, Lakeside First Presbyterian Church, Santa Rosa Colorado Mountain View United, Aurora St. Paul Presbyterian Church, Aurora Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church, Denver The Bieber Family, Lakewood Connecticut First Presbyterian Church, Greenwich Spring Glen Church (UCC), Hamden First Presbyterian Hartford, Hartford First Presbyterian Church, New Canaan First Presbyterian New Haven, New Haven Presbytery of Southern New England Yale Divinity School, New Haven First Presbyterian Church, Stamford Turn of River Presbyterian Church, Stamford Crossroads Presbyterian, Waterford Westminster Presbyterian Church, West Hartford Delaware Limestone Presbyterian Church, Wilmington Presbyterian Church of the Covenant & Preschool, Wilmington Florida First Presbyterian Church, Green Cove Springs First Presbyterian Church, Mount Dora Moorings Presbyterian Church, Naples Presbyterian Church of Palm Harbor First Presbyterian Church, Pasadena First Presbyterian Church, Plant City Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church, Tampa Georgia First Presbyterian Church of Athens Agnes Scott College, Decatur Tina Evans, Clarksville Iowa First Presbyterian Church, Villisca Illinois First United Presbyterian Church, Belleville Northminster Presbyterian Church, Evanston Peace Lutheran Church, Waucond First Presbyterian Church, Wilmette, Indiana St David’s Episcopal Church, Bean Blossom The Rev. Dr. Landon, Lebanon Kentucky First Presbyterian Church, Elizabethtown, Briargate Presbyterian Church, Louisville, Louisiana St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church, New Orleans, Michigan First Presbyterian Church, Ann Arbor Westside United Methodist Church, Ann Arbor Westminster Presbyterian Church, Detroit Dexter United Methodist Church, Dexter First Presbyterian Church of Ithaca First Presbyterian Church, Plymouth Northminster Presbyterian Church, Troy Minnesota Community United Church of Christ, St Paul Mississippi St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Columbus Missouri Southminster Presbyterian Church, Springfield, Nebraska First Presbyterian Church, Norfolk New Jersey First Presbyterian Church, Iselin First Presbyterian Church, Merchantville New York All Saints Episcopal Church, Briarcliff Middle Collegiate Church, New York Park Avenue Christian Church, New York North Carolina New Hope Presbyterian Church, Asheville Black Mountain Presbyterian Church, Black Mountain Roanoke Island Presbyterian Church, Manteo Cape Fear Presbyterian Church, Wilmington Ohio Belle Center United Presbyterian Church, Belle Center Christ Presbyterian Church, Chesterland Cincinnati Presbytery, Cincinnati Southminster Presbyterian Church, Dayton Frankfort Presbyterian Church, Frankfort Oklahoma First Presbyterian Church, Chouteau First Presbyterian Church, Stillwater Rev. Christy Moore, Tulsa, OK Oregon Lake Oswego United Church of Christ, Lake Oswego Cascades Presbytery, Portland Pennsylvania St. John's Presbyterian Church, Devon Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, Erie Southminster Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh Rhode Island Calvin Presbyterian Church, Cumberland Providence Presbyterian Church, Providence South Carolina Landrum Presbyterian Church, Landrum Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church, Mt. Pleasant Tennessee Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian, Knoxville Texas Andrews Presbyterian Church, Andrews First Presbyterian Church, Houston St. Phillip's Presbyterian Church, Houston First Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, TX Vermont First Congregational Church, Burlington Virginia Presbyterian Church of Radford, Radford Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond Washington Ocean Beach Presbyterian Church, Seaview Wisconsin Delafield Presbyterian Church, Delafield First Presbyterian church, Manitowoc The Pearson Family, Menomonee Falls The Rev. Barbara Jordan, Mequon Scotland, United Kingdom The Glens & Kirriemuir Old Parish, Kirriemuir, Scotland |
Responding to
Sandy Hook
Pastoral Care after Sandy Hook
The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School has deeply affected us all, in various ways. We will all be grieving the event for a long time to come. Sometimes grief appears as utter fatigue, a sudden and unexpected onset of sadness, anger,
anxiety, an inability to concentrate, a lack of interest in normal activities, difficulty sleeping, nightmares etc. If you or someone you know is struggling with any of these things, please do not hesitate to call or email Rev. Adele. You can also call the Danbury hotline at 2-1-1. Help is available. We are all in this together; you don't need to suffer alone.