A Time to Heal at Merillon Avenue

By James Kennedy

Struck by the evident family ties bound together through tragedy, Deacon John Reinhart of Corpus Christi Church was moved by the scene of reminiscence and reunion that unfolded next to the east bound train tracks of the Merillon Avenue train station. "This is healing," he said.

Organized by Joyce Gorycki and Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, this was the fourth time that friends and family of those killed or injured four years ago in the Long Island Rail Road Massacre gathered with a tri-fold purpose.

Explained Gorycki, the event was meant as a memorial for those lost, a reunion for the families forged through the loss of their loved ones and a reminder of the importance of what had happened.

Wreaths were placed along the railing of the station, six of which were marked by a red ribbon for each of those who were killed, and one large wreath marked with a white ribbon was hung in honor of the 19 who were injured.

The large wreath was carried and attached to the railing by Commander of the Mineola American Legion Post #349 Sal Mammina and Veterans of Foreign Wars member Joe DiGiorgio.

DiGiorgio felt it was especially important that he be in attendance because as well as being a veteran, the Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corp, an organization he co-founded, was first on the scene at the tragedy on Dec. 7, 1993.

These two veterans had just finished attending a memorial for the lives lost at Pearl Harbor in 1941 held in Mineola Memorial Park, and along with many of their fellow veterans arrived at the train station, after an invitation from Gorycki, to pay their respects.

Commander for the VFW Manny Grilo attached bouquets of flowers from both the American Legion and the VFW among the wreaths along the railing in a gesture of understanding from one group that strives to keep the memories of lost ones alive to another.

In his prayerful remembrance Reinhart called for a moment of silence and asked those present to remember their lost loved ones, but not in relation to the tragedy, but rather in moments of great love and caring.

"We gather together to give witness to the fact that no evil person or force can destroy the human spirit," said Reinhart.

The deacon credited this perseverance, in part, to the strong relationships forged by the victims' families. These relationships were nowhere more evident than in the discussions shared among those who had gathered that included introductions of new spouses and new children, reminiscent of a family reunion. "We consider ourselves a family," said Gorycki.

Reinhart also advised, "While not denying the pain we remember the good that has happened in the lives affected by one tragic event."

Among those things that have sprung forth from this tragedy, the most notable is McCarthy's successful bid for Congress, after both the loss of her husband Dennis and the severe injury of her son Kevin inspired her to fight for gun control. However, several others touched by the tragedy have been moved to action as well.

Gorycki, who lost her husband James in the incident, announced that she had become the vice chairperson for the Long Island chapter of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence. She stated "If I can do whatever I can do to save the world from gun violence, then I will be satisfied."

Arlene Locicero sits on the board of the United Network for Organ Sharing and advocated for the donation of organs to save lives. She spoke through her own experience of all the good that can come from this practice.

She presented Theresa Caravella, who lives as the recipient of a heart from Amy Federici who died in the tragedy four years ago. Federici is Locicero's daughter.

Locicero said that as her daughter's heart beats in Caravella, Amy Federici continues to live.

As the deacon said, "Love, indeed, lasts forever," and through this love comes healing and through this process of healing, as the families of those who were lost have shown, great things can happen.