BALTIMORE — Everyone is feeling the impact of the Francis Key Bridge collapse, and many people want to show support in any way they can.
“It's important during a tragic moment to come together as a community to express our affection and love for those impacted," says Milton Bravo.
One way people are showing support is through prayer.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore held a mass Tuesday, hours after hearing the news.
“People say prayer doesn’t really matter, but it does. Prayer is a way in which we spiritually accompany people who are in need," says Archbishop Lori.
Dr. Maryrose Oguezuonu tells me she wasn’t going to miss this mass no matter what, even though her car had been in the shop for weeks.
She says she prayed that she would find a way for her and her daughter to make it to mass.
“After I finished that prayer, the guy called me and said your car is ready. I said thank you, Jesus, and when I picked up my car, I told my daughter, get ready we are coming," says Dr. Maryrose Oguezuonu.
She and other parishioners say it's been difficult hearing about what happened and only knowing pieces of what happened and what's to come.
“All of the unknowns I think will continue to kind of weigh on us collectively as a community," says Milton Bravo.
But no matter what, supporting their fellow Baltimoreans is top of mind.
“I know this is an emergency, and we are praying for them and we are with them. This is what Baltimore is all about," says Dr. Maryrose Oguezuonu.
Andrew Middleton lives about a mile from the bridge in Dundalk and heard the crash.
He says he knows some of the crew members on the ship.
He tells me they were about to head to Sri Lanka, a trip that would have taken them 28 days.
As soon as he found out the sound he heard was the ship crashing into the bridge, he immediately reached out.
“I ran back into the bedroom, grabbed my cell phone, and sent a message to one of the crew members, just to make sure that everyone was okay," says Andrew Middleton.
He says that even though they gave him the okay, he knows they will never be the same.
Neither will the families of the construction workers who have died.
“But I think it’s important for everyone to remember that you know their lives have been affected, lives have been lost, and we have to keep those people and their families in prayer as well because their lives are forever changed from this incident,” says Andrew Middleton.
Archbishop Lori says the church will use every resource it has to provide support to anyone who needs it during this difficult time.
