Ten-year-old Sanad Shahriar was remembered as a “kind, cheeky, clever” boy at a memorial service held at St Lucy’s School following his tragic death in a lift accident at the school on November 1. Source: The Catholic Weekly.
Broken Bay Bishop Anthony Randazzo joined around 200 people who gathered for the private service at the Wahroonga school for students with disabilities.
Opening the service, principal David Raphael said that while St Lucy’s community is grieving Sanad’s loss, “nothing compares” to the suffering of his parents Easmin and Hasan Shahriar.
He thanked staff members and emergency services first responders for their work on November 1 and St Lucy’s staff, families and friends for their support following the tragedy.
The Shahriar family did not attend but the simple and sombre service was recorded for them and mourners wrote condolence messages on brightly-coloured cards to compile a book of memories.
After a short Gospel reading, Fr Sam French, priest in residence at Holy Name Parish, Wahroonga, delivered a homily likening Sanad’s life to a bright light that went out “without the slightest warning or the chance to prepare ourselves”.
“The light of Sanad’s life is a reminder that all life is a fragile and precious gift, not promised to us for any particular amount of time, but continually given to us as a gift from God, day by day, moment by moment.”
Following the service, Bishop Randazzo posted a message on social media about the “wonderful, creative, cheeky” boy who was a much-loved classmate.
Emergency services tried to rescue Sanad, who became trapped under a lift at the school, but were unable to save him. An investigation by NSW Police and SafeWork NSW is continuing.
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St Lucy’s prays after tragic death (By Marilyn Rodrigues, The Catholic Weekly)
