On Friday, April 6, 2018, 15 team members and personnel of the Humboldt Broncos hockey team, from Humboldt, Saskatchewan, were killed in a tragic bus crash in a rural part of the province. Ten of the victims were players between the ages of 16 and 21; 5 were support staff, and more than a dozen others were injured. Individuals across Canada, around the world, on hockey teams, and in the community have been offering their prayers and loving support to all those affected by this incomprehensible loss. We too share in the sadness of so many young lives cut short far too soon and, in this Easter season, we trust in the power of Christ’s Resurrection to lead them to new and unending life.
Let us pray.
God of love, consoler of the sorrowful,
we come before you today, broken-hearted over the deaths of these 15 people in Saskatchewan.
Some of them were young, and some were not so young,
but every single one of them was one of your precious children,
and they were bound together by bonds of camaraderie, friendship and team spirit.
We pray today that you might welcome them to the glory of your kingdom,
and that you would grant strength and comfort to their families, loved ones and communities.
Pour out your healing power on those who are still in hospital,
and on all those who have been shaken and grieved by this sudden, tragic loss.
We know that, by your rising from the dead, you have defeated the power of death forever.
Bring your light to this time of darkness, confusion and pain,
for you are the Resurrection and the Life,
and you live and reign with your Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.
Amen.