Hundreds gather at Memorial Park to remember Andria Hanafin
(4-minute read)
Hundreds of residents gathered around the flagpoles at Memorial Park on Wednesday, October 14, for a community vigil to remember Andria Hanafin.
The gathering
Attendees leave messages for Andria’s family at a memorial table decorated with flowers, candles, and tissues. Photo by Taylor Gregory.
The musical duo Kate & Pat performed acoustic guitar songs alongside the Reading Community Singers. The Reading Coalition for Prevention & Support set up a table with domestic violence resources, and Reading Police Department officers handed out candles for attendees to hold. Community members handed out purple ribbons for domestic violence for people to wear throughout the evening. A large banner behind one table read, “In loving memory,” and “Love like Andria, her light will never be forgotten.” The table held purple bracelets and purple hearts for community members to leave messages for the family, along with a place for donations and information on the family’s fundraiser.
In attendance
The crowd included Andria’s family and friends, along with teachers and community members who came out to support the Hanafin family in their profound loss. Also in attendance were Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, Reading Police Chief David Clark, Deputy Chief Christine Amendola, Town Manager Jayne Wellman, Superintendent Dr. Henry Turner, various faith leaders, and staff from the Reading Coalition for Prevention & Support.
Remarks
Rev. Emelia Attridge offers opening remarks as officials and choir members look on. Photo by Taylor Gregory.
Rev. Emelia Attridge
Rev. Emelia Attridge was the evening's first speaker. “In times like these there are no words,” she said, describing a thread of relationship that ties the community together and expressing gratitude for everyone who came to share solidarity and hope. Flowers were donated in Andria’s honor, and Attridge led a moment of reflection and silence. “May the chirping of the crickets be our amen,” she said.
Jayne Wellman
Wellman thanked the community for coming together to honor Andria during what she called a difficult time, encouraging people to find comfort in one another and to seek out available resources. She asked attendees to remember the people behind the uniforms, noting that first responders witness experiences most residents never see, and thanked the businesses and residents who supported them afterward. She said words aren't enough to make sense of what happened, and that the tragedy has touched many people in Reading. Many people are hurting, she said, and the community does not yet have all the answers, but it has a human need to help, and compassion and kindness matter. No one should have to navigate difficult circumstances alone, she said, asking residents to give each other space to breathe and grieve. “Let the lights be our shared community that looks out for one another,” she said.
Police Chief David Clark addresses the crowd during the candlelight vigil. Photo by Taylor Gregory.
Chief David Clark
Clark spoke as a father, husband, son, and fellow Reading resident, saying the tragedy affects everyone. He said he has witnessed nearly every call and emergency a department has responded to, and that nothing prepares a person for the unthinkable. He said the department stands with the community, condemned and deplored violence in all forms, and pledged a thorough investigation.
Superintendent Dr. Henry Turner
Turner spoke of honoring what he described as a generous soul. “Grief shared is grief divided,” he said, adding that while the community cannot take away the pain, it can share the weight of it. He spoke of the sacredness of tears and said the best way out of grief is through it, encouraging attendees to support each other and Andria’s values. He thanked the Reading Police Department and the town for their response to the schools, including the work of school resource officers, and thanked Reading Public Schools staff for their response and support. He noted that counselors, identifiable by lanyards, were present at the vigil for anyone who wanted to talk.
The Reading Community Singers perform during the vigil. Photo by Taylor Gregory.
Erica Maillet
Erica Maillet, Director of the Reading Coalition for Prevention & Support (RCPS), thanked friends and neighbors for supporting one another and encouraged attendees to take a donated flower. She described grief as something experienced in both mind and body, saying some people may feel numb or on edge or find themselves wondering how such a thing happened. Sadness comes in waves, she said, and there is no single way to grieve, encouraging people to notice what they feel and reach out for help. She said faith leaders and school staff, including Irene Griffin from her office, were available for comfort, and urged attendees to seek support from someone they trust or from a professional, and to protect themselves during this time.
Father Steven Zukas
Father Steven Zukas of Christ the King Church said the community acknowledges the darkness as it gathers and asked whether to stay still or carry the light into the evening. He closed his remarks with a prayer.
Wellman closed the program by asking attendees to take a tea light and wrap their arms around one another. The Reading Community Singers ensemble performed to close the vigil.
Resources
Attendees hold candles during a closing moments of remarks from officials. Photo by Taylor Gregory.
Residents seeking support can reach the following:
Irene Griffin, LMHC. Child/Adolescent Clinician with the Reading Coalition for Prevention & Support: 781-942-6699, IGriffin@ReadingMA.gov.
Jessenia Cruz, Outreach Coordinator with RCPS: 781-942-6756, JCruz@ReadingMA.gov.
Taunya L. Jarzyniecki, LMHC, LADC-1. Public Safety Clinician for RCPS: 781-942-6795, TJarzyniecki@ReadingMA.com.
Erica Maillet, MPH. Director of RCPS, 781-942-6793, EMaillet@ReadingMA.gov
Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Additional resources are available through the Town of Reading’s Get Help page and the state’s list of Community Behavioral Health Centers. A fundraiser has also been established to support the Hanafin family.
