Mourners in the lower Naugatuck Valley and across the nation rang church bells Friday morning in memory of the 26 victims of the horrifying shooting a week ago at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.
Among the bell ringers were a small group of parishioners at St. Michael’s Church in Derby, who braved this morning’s blustery rainstorm to show their sadness and respect for those slain: six educators and 20 first-grade children.
Inside the church, a Christmas tree off to the right of the altar was decorated with angel cards bearing the names of the victims.
Meanwhile, at the Derby Green about a dozen people, mostly firefighters, braved the weather to ring an old fire bell which stands as a monument to Derby firefighters.
Public Works employee Frank Pelaccia, who helped organize the local tribute, rang the bell several times with a hammer, then passed the tool to firefighters, who took turns following suit for a total of 26 rings.
A Derby fire horn could also be heard.
The last to ring the bell was Mayor Anthony Staffieri, who made brief remarks afterward.
The mayor began by saying not much new could be said about the senseless tragedy in Newtown.
“Hopefully something good will come out of all of this,” the mayor said.
Friday’s remembrances, which included a moment of silence along with the bell-ringing, were requested earlier this week by Gov. Dannel Malloy and the National Council of Churches.
Some churches rang their bells an extra time for the 27th victim, Nancy Lanza of Newtown, the mother of the gunman, Adam Lanza, who was shot to death before her son attacked the elementary school.
At St. Michael’s, parishioner Sandra Jemioto of Ansonia said she began organizing the bell ringing after she heard Malloy’s suggestion.
“We just wanted to do our part with the rest of the churches. It’s the least we could do,” Jemioto said.
Also on hand were Jemioto’s friend, Fran Tracz of Derby. She recalled learning of the tragic shooting at noon on Dec. 14 when she turned on her television to watch the news.
“I was upset, and I’m still upset. I just can’t recover from this,” Tracz said.
The women put out the word by telephone and email on Wednesday that St. Michael’s would participate in the bell ringing.
About a dozen people showed up, including five with bells to ring: Jemioto, Tracz, Sandy Mendyk of Ansonia, Arlene Jachyra of Derby and Allyson Satkowski of Seymour.
Believing that the church’s steeple bell was out of order, the small group brought their own bells to ring on the church steps overlooking Route 34.
However, the steeple bell actually does work, and former Derby mayor Marc Garofalo, who is St. Michael’s music director, showed up to activate it electrically from inside the church.
Staff writer Ethan Fry contributed to this report.