Few events are as sad as the funeral of a child.
But today, in St. Catharines, Ont., more than a thousand gathered at a church to mourn the passing of seven children and their mother — all of whom perished Monday night in a fire that burned their Lincoln, Ont. farmhouse to the ground.
Monika Woerlen was 39 and pregnant with her eighth child when she died. Her oldest daughter Susanna was 11. Elena was 10. Marcus, 8; Samuel, 7; Paul, 5; Nathan, 3; and Debora Lynn was just 19 months.
Husband and father Marc Woerlen was away on the night of the fire. He was in the Ottawa area searching for a new farm for his family.
I and several colleagues from the CTV universe were at the funeral today. Our items are now online. Be sure to click on the video links on the right hand side of the page. They are some of the most heart-wrenching pictures you're likely to see.
I don't often cry while reading the newspaper but I broke down yesterday when I saw a picture of Marc Woerlen in the Globe, standing at a podium in front of eight caskets. Oy.