Just steps away from the Aurora theater where tragedy struck, a house of worship burst with love, song, faith and remembrance during its Sunday service.
After the shooting that killed 12 and wounded 70, Bishop Dennis Leonard said he tried to buy the Century Aurora 16 theater to reclaim it as a building of faith. When that fell through, he chose a neighboring building to house the Heritage Christian Center.
“It’s in my heart to bring healing to the heart of Aurora,” Leonard said.
Thirteen white candles — one for each fallen victim and the one unborn child lost by one of the injured — lined the front of the church’s stage as Leonard preached about bringing peace to the aching community three years after one of the worst mass shootings in the nation’s history.
“There are no words we can say to bring complete healing to your heart if you lost a loved one in the shooting,” Leonard said. “We’re using the church to touch hurting lives.”
Even as many churchgoers shed tears and raised their hands above their heads, the spirited Gospel songs belted out by a large choir brought attendees to their feet dancing, beaming and clapping.
Churchgoer Tammy Mullins bowed her head in prayer.
“We feel the spirits from all of them always with us,” Mullins said, speaking of the shooting victims.
Gov. John Hickenlooper sat in a corner of the stage, bouncing his legs to the energetic choir music.
Hickenlooper stepped forward to share words about his faith.
“It’s a hard time as we go back to thinking about the shootings and all the troubles in our world,” Hickenlooper said. “I struggle to make sure I’m doing what God would want.”
Seated near Hickenlooper, shooting survivor Marcus Weaver had come to speak about the day he lost his friend Rebecca Wingo and about his own recovery.
Weaver said Thursday was both upsetting and healing as he heard James Holmes’ guilty verdict read for the shootings.
“I was filled with sadness because those 12 people won’t get a chance to have a Christmas with their families,” Weaver said. “It was also a major steppingstone for moving forward.”
Weaver said in an interview that his faith is one of the main reasons he believes he is alive today.
“For the past three years, there’s not a second that goes by that we don’t think of that day,” Weaver said, talking about himself and the other shooting survivors. “The community has wrapped their arms around us.”
Putting his time into the community through Denver Works and other organizations that help struggling people find jobs has given him purpose, Weaver said. He also credited the support of his wife, Megan, and their newborn daughter.
Now, Weaver travels around the country sharing his story.
“I’ve taken the 13 victims and the darkness around what happened and decided to be a point of light,” he said.
As the penalty phase moves forward in the Holmes trial, Weaver said it is an emotional time.
“I did not believe in the death penalty before, but after hearing the evidence and how calculated this attack was, my mind has been changed,” he said. “The guilty verdict gave us a little relief, but we still have a long way to go.”
After the church service, attendees gathered outside to release balloons in honor of the lives that were lost.
Churchgoers surrounded Weaver, giving him their best wishes and hugs as they watched the balloons sail into the sky.
“The same community that Mr. Holmes hurt is the same community putting us back together,” Weaver said.
Elizabeth Hernandez: 303-954-1223, ehernandez@denverpost.com or twitter.com/ehernandez
