Friends, family, parishioners reflect on deep faith of missing couple

WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. (CNS) — Friends and parishioners of St. Pius X Church in White Bear Lake reflected on the lives of Jerry and Barb Heil at an evening prayer service Jan. 18. On Jan. 19, divers resumed the search for 21 people still missing after a Costa Concordia cruise ship cruise ship crashed into the Italian coast Jan. 13. The Heils are the only Americans who remained unaccounted for among the more than 4,200 passengers. Eleven people died. At St. Pius X, about 450 people gathered to sing, pray, reflect, light candles and pay tribute to the Heils. “It was a fantastic tribute to the way they lived their lives,” said Carri Petronack, St. Pius X social ministry coordinator. “A lot of people knew them, and they lived their life to be ready for heaven every day and go to the Lord.” Several people commented on the Heil couple’s tremendous display of faith, including their granddaughter, Lexi Heil. They are “amazing people (with) such a strong faith,” she said. Barb Heil has been active in a close-knit parish rosary group. Jerry Heil is a member of the Knights of Columbus, which he joined in 1969 but rejoined more actively in 2002, said fellow Knight Duane Jabas. “He would keep out of the spotlight,” Jabas said. “He was very active in our Church.”