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The purpose of the vigil was to remember and grieve the loss of lives at the mosque in Québec City on January 29th, 2017, and to be in solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters. We wanted to express our compassion and to uphold and celebrate diversity. We gathered outdoors, with the sound of the wind and the ocean everpresent, and throughout we were watched over by a majestic bird high up in a nearby tree.

The Threshold Singers sang songs that reflected the spirit of our gathering, including the words "we are holding you in our hearts".  Someone from our church read a paraphrase of a poem by Mary Oliver that asked all of us to live so as to "make a comment" that is positive, kind, loving, strong, creative and new.  A Muslim friend expressed his gratitude for our gathering, and eloquently reminded us that out of awful and shocking events something better can happen, and that coming together today was a step in that direction. 

Through being together and meeting new friends all of us were filled with hope and thankfulness as we sang together, "We Shall Overcome".