Vigil Held In Philadelphia For Charleston Shooting Victims
By Todd Quinones and Kristen Johanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – An interfaith vigil for the Charleston shooting victims was held Thursday night in Philadelphia's Society Hill neighborhood.
People gathered together at Mother Bethel AME Church, for one purpose -- to remember the nine lives lost in South Carolina.
"We come tonight to declare that darkness is not more powerful than light."
Rev. Mark Tyler was a close friend of Rev. Clementa Pinckney, the pastor of Mother Emanuel AME Church in South Carolina who was among those killed Wednesday night.
The two even worked on a documentary together about the African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina.
Tyler said all day, from all across Philadelphia, he had people calling him.
"Because you hurt we hurt, this is Philadelphia and if any one part of our city hurts, we all hurt. What can we do."
Those who joined in the service, said they felt a need to come and pray.
"A sense of connection, that we were all mourning together. We are all committing to work together, in the face of devastating loss."
"The attack on one house of worship is an attack on all of us. And this is a tragedy for our whole country."
"I just came to show my support, and to stop crying for a minute or two."
"I just had to come. We are all one. When one hurts, we all hurt."
During the interfaith service at the place where the AME church began, the names of those killed were read out loud.
When Pastor Mark Tyler was addressing the audience Thursday night, he said, "I know most of you are not from AME." At that point, he was interrupted by someone in the pews who shouted, "we are all AME."
