“It is in our most difficult hours that we, as a community, turn to our Lord for refuge, strength and love. Please join us and with your community for prayer.”
The city shared that five people are confirmed dead and over 40 people are injured following the SUV’s collision with parade marchers.
Children were among those struck by the car, Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said. In all, 11 adults and 12 pediatric patients were transported to six hospitals in the area, said Fire Chief Steven Howard.
Children’s Wisconsin, a health care system operating two hospitals in the state, said that it took in 15 patients from the incident as of 8 p.m., “with no reported fatalities at our hospital at that time.”
Authorities gave no further specifics about the injuries and the fatalities, as they work to notify family members of the victims.
According to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, one of its Catholic priests, multiple parishioners and Waukesha Catholic school children were among those injured.
“Please join us in prayer for all those involved, their families, and those who are traumatized from witnessing the horrible scene,” Archdiocese spokesperson Sandra Peterson said in a statement Sunday night.
Groups like the Catholic Community of Waukesha, Milwaukee Dancing Grannies, Waukesha Xtreme Dance, and the Catholic Community of Waukesha issued statements saying members of their groups who were marching in the parade at the site of the car’s collision were impacted.
Those organizations were all marching behind each other during the parade, according to the event’s parade lineup.
The Catholic Community of Waukesha issued a statement Sunday night saying simply that several parishioners have been injured and are hospitalized, according to Monica Cardenas, the director of stewardship and communication.
And there’s this, from CNA:
The Catholic Community of Waukesha will hold a livestreamed prayer service Nov. 22 at St. William Church, and said it is planning to provide counseling and support for parishioners following the tragedy.
“We continue to monitor the impact of yesterday’s tragic event and minister to our injured parishioners and to anyone who was in attendance,” the group wrote on Facebook.
“It is in our most difficult hours that we, as a community, turn to our Lord for refuge, strength and love. Please join us and with your community for prayer.”
