Originally published at National Catholic Register
Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans offered prayers Wednesday morning for the victims of the attack, calling the incident ‘a sign of utter disrespect for human life.’
Notre Dame football fans packed a New Orleans hotel ballroom on Wednesday morning for Mass, offering prayers for those killed during a deadly terrorist attack in the French Quarter in the early hours of New Year’s Day.
The Mass, which is a tradition for Notre Dame fans and had already been scheduled for Jan. 1 — a holy day of obligation — attracted some 500 attendees to the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, just a 20-minute walk from the French Quarter.
Father Nathan Wills, chaplain for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, told the South Bend Tribune in an interview following Mass that prayer in the face of tragedy is “what we do.” New Orleans on Wednesday was to host this year’s college football Sugar Bowl game between No. 2-ranked Georgia and No. 3 Notre Dame, which was postponed and rescheduled for Thursday afternoon.
“In the midst of tragedy, we come together in prayer and faith in Our Lord. There’s no darkness that he can’t overcome. That’s the hope, seeing everybody praying
