Church leaders in Rushville organized a candlelight prayer vigil as the community tries to recover from the crash on Monday that killed five people, including three young children.
“I want you to think about those candles as light breaking darkness because darkness has hit this community this week,” Pastor Jason Triplett of Rushville Church of Christ told the crowd at the beginning of the vigil.
“This is light breaking darkness and we’re all holding that light.”
Hundreds of mourners -- many wearing the purple and gold colors of the Schuyler-Industry School District -- surrounded the gazebo in Central Park on the downtown square.
“It was so overwhelming to see and beautiful to see,” Triplett said.
He is urging people to be kind to one another and to be there for one another. He said it’s important to keep following up with those who were affected by what happened, including first responders.
Ways to support the Rushville community and the families affected can be found here.
Governor offers help
Mayor Jeff Ervin called the turnout a testament to the community.
“We’re a strong community, and when people are in need, we get stronger and we support each other,” he said.
Ervin said he was surprised to receive a call from Governor J.B. Pritzker, who offered anything the state can provide to help.
“I was very impressed with that, and offering any resources that they had, whether it be counseling or police or anything else. It was a very nice gesture,” the mayor said.
Ervin said donations for the families have poured into city hall.
He said it’s a difficult time in Rushville, but he’s proud of all the support the community is showing.
Don’t look for blame
Pastor Stacy Tomich of the Rushville First United Methodist Church was with high school students when word of the crash spread through town on Monday.
“As we worked with them and helped them breathe, I just for a moment turned and I looked out the window, and the windows were facing the preschool play yard. And I watched the little ones playing and they had no idea, no idea, that their classmates were never coming back,” she said.
Tomich said the community must stand alongside the parents of the children who died and the families of the bus driver and the truck driver.
She said we should not look for blame -- it was a horrible accident that could happen to anybody at any time.
“When there’s been precious lives lost, I hope it serves as a reminder to just love a little harder, love a little harder,” Tomich said.
She feels we’ve forgotten how to disagree and love. She said we should treat each other with more grace and not pick fault with one another.
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