Moments of Blessing
In 1998, Dexter Villa was murdered in nearby Titlow Park. Several days later, Associated Ministries held its first Moment of Blessing at the site where Dexter was killed. Since that day we have faithfully carried out such services at homicide sites throughout Pierce County. Our efforts were inspired by a program we heard about in Indianapolis, Indiana. Since the inception, we have shared our program with King, Snohomish, Thurston and Kitsap Counties. We have introduced the program to Phoenix, Arizona and Eastern Europe.
Approximately one week after a homicide takes place in Pierce County, Associated Ministries conducts "A Moment of Blessing." The purpose of these services is to pause and remember that a human life was taken at this particular place. We come together as community to pray for all involved in the particular homicide and to reclaim the space as sacred, a place of life. So often spaces are remembered as places of death. We reclaim them as places of life by conducting a service of worship and blessing.
The services are quite brief. Normally they are Christian ecumenical services, but on some occasions the service is interreligious.
We have conducted over 200 of these services since the first service in honor of Dexter Villa.
Moments of Blessing include the victim's personal effects such as photos and other special items. The ribbons have the names of victims and the date of their deaths written on them.
The religious services include local clergy. Rev. David Alger, pictured here, speaks at a recent service.
Bamboo poles bear the name of victims that have been memorialized at MOB.
