TIGNISH, PE.I. - Friends and family – and quite likely complete strangers – will come together Thursday and Saturday to mourn the loss of two Tignish fishermen that has left this community deeply hurting.
The funeral for Glen DesRoches will be Thursday, and Moe Getson’s funeral will be Saturday.
The pair perished when a fishing boat capsized Tuesday, Sept. 18, off North Cape.
The accident was only discovered after the third member of the crew, 22-year-old Tanner Gaudet, swam to shore and then walked an estimated two kilometres to the Wind ‘n Reef Restaurant at North Cape to summon help.
Rev. John Molina of St. Simon and St. Jude Parish says the deaths have delivered an aching blow.
“I have been saying we cannot put in words all the feelings and the shock and the trauma this has created in the community,’’ he says.
“The people are mourning. It is evident they are going through the different stages of grieving.’’
Molina says the funerals offer the opportunity for people to draw on each other in a collective show of immense grief and a deep sense of loss.
“This is a tight community,’’ he says.
“The relationships are really strong. Everybody knows everybody. A funeral will be a time for the whole community to mourn.’’
Molina will not be presiding over either funeral, but he notes his role right now in this reeling community is to simply offer his presence.
“I am trying to help them get a meaning of what is going on from the spiritual perspective,’’ he says.
“From the Christian perspective, we believe that life doesn’t end here.’’
Visitation for DesRoches will be at the Rooney Funeral Home and Chapel in Alberton Wednesday, 6-9 p.m., and Thursday from 1 p.m. until departure. Funeral mass will be at 4 p.m. at St. Simon and St. Jude Church in Tignish.
Visitation for Getson is Friday, 6-9 p.m., at Rooney Funeral Home and Chapel in Alberton. His funeral service will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at E. Gerald Rooney Memorial Chapel in Alberton.
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