Special prayer service for Plum community held at St. John the Baptist Church

PLUM, Pa. — Prayers were offered on behalf of the Plum community at a special service at the St. John the Baptist Church Tuesday evening.

Bishop David Zubik led the Holy Hour of Adoration and Benediction in front of hundreds of people, including Plum’s mayor, after Saturday’s deadly house explosion.

>>> Plum House Explosion: What we’ve learned about the 5 victims, the legacies left behind

“It’s just one of those things that happened and it’s terrible,” Mayor Harry Schlegel said. The mayor was there as a leader and a mourner. He lost two friends - Borough Manager Michael Thomas and Community Development Director Heather Oravitz.

“Mike was just a great guy and Heather, Heather was a mother and a sports fanatic. Don’t play her in basketball and certainly don’t play her in pickleball,” Mayor Schlegel said.

• LATEST UPDATES: 5 people dead, including child, after massive explosion in Plum
• PHOTOS: House leveled in explosion in Plum Borough; several other homes damaged

Bishop Zubik called on the congregation to remember the victims, naming each of them and stressing the importance of silent prayer.

“We live in a world that sometimes has so much noise that we don’t appreciate silence but it’s in those moments we can really speak from the heart,” Bishop Zubik said. “God really does carry us through difficult moments like this and it’s really hard for a lot of people to rest with that.”

Mayor Schlegel also told Channel 11 the borough will be doing some reorganizing soon, but his focus, for now, is on the victims and their families.

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