Months after son's death, family to attend papal Mass
Wilfredo Rojas and Aleida Garcia, who have run an anti-violence campaign since their son was murdered in January, were given tickets to the parkway event.
EIGHT MONTHS after they began an anti-violence campaign following the death of their son, Wilfredo Rojas and Aleida Garcia are getting results.
"This has been our mission," Rojas told the Daily News last night. "It's been our ministry."
Alejandro "Luchi" Rojas-Garcia, 34, a Temple University student and father of two, was killed in January outside a Feltonville nightclub, when someone peppered his silver SUV with bullets.
Leonaldo Rivera, 25, was arrested Feb. 25 and has been held for trial in Philadelphia on murder and gun charges.
Since the shooting, Garcia and Rojas, the communications director for the Gloucester County NAACP, have petitioned the World Meeting of Families, the Vatican and other Catholic institutions asking Pope Francis to meet with area families of homicide victims during his weekend in Philadelphia, Sept. 26 and 27.
Rojas and Garcia got a response yesterday: The World Meeting mailed them three tickets to the papal Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and they'll be sitting six rows back. The tickets arrived in a gold box with a red ribbon, along with a letter from Archbishop Charles Chaput and Donna Crilley Farrell, executive director of the World Meeting.
Rojas-Garcia's parents are asking families of other homicide victims to send them photos of the deceased. The two will attach the photos to sashes they'll wear to the papal Mass.
"We want to honor Alex's name, but we also want to honor the other people who have been hurt by violence," Garcia said. "Action has really been our therapy."
Rojas-Garcia studied advertising at Temple after transferring from Community College of Philadelphia. He was an avid fisher who enjoyed poetry and music.
Alex, as he also was known, had a stint with rap group Latin Linxx. Not long before his death, he recorded an original R&B song called "Lost" on his Soundcloud account, under the pseudonym "Luchie Luciano."
His parents, both Catholic, said they've identified with Pope Francis' anti-violence message.
"He's reached out to victims of terror attacks, victims of other senseless violence, and he's even spoken by phone to families affected," Rojas said.
"We're hoping he could just turn to us and say, 'As the heir to St. Peter, I am with you.' That would send the world a message."