TACLOBAN CITY, Jan. 19 (PNA) — The body of Kristel Mae Padasas, the volunteer worker killed in a freak accident in this city after the Holy Mass officiated by Pope Francis last Saturday was brought to Manila Monday morning.
Instead of coming to Tacloban to claim her body, the family requested that her remains be brought to Manila. The C130 plane carrying the remains left the city’s airport 11:20 a.m.
Kristel Mae, 27, a worker of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Eastern Samar, went to Tacloban to volunteer for the papal mass at the airport when a scaffolding accidentally collapsed and struck her.
Before her remains were flown this morning, soldiers lined-up from the funeral car of St. Peter to the ramp of the plane as soldiers carried the casket.
Co-volunteers and CRS officials went to the airport this morning to pay their respect to Padasas.
The CRS officials declined media interviews and instead they asked media to check for their official statement in their website.
Yesterday, CRS and the Archdiocese of Palo offered a mass for her at the Redemptorist Church in Tacloban.
Kristal Mae is the only child of Judy Cleofe and Paulino Padasas. Her mother is an overseas Filipino worker in Hong Kong, who is expected to arrive today in Manila.
Padasas’ fellow CRS workers recalled the last word they heard from Kristel: “Okey na ako, nakita ko na ang Santo Papa (I’m now okay. I have seen the Pope).”
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle said tn the meeting between Pope Francis and the victim’s father, the Pontiff was surprised to see that the family member had already accepted the death of his only child.
Before his activity at the University of Santo Tomas with the youth on Sunday morning, Pope Francis asked for a minute of silence to pray for the soul of Kristel Mae, whom the pontiff said is now in heaven. (PNA)
LAP/SQM/ROEL T. AMAZONA/SSC
