Harrison Orozco, 7, was the second victim of a school bus accident that occurred in Arlington last week.

By Alfonso Aguilar
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 4/28/05)

More than 200 people attended a funeral Mass for Harrison Orozco, 7, the Arlington student who was killed last week in a school bus crash.

In the Arlington accident involving a school bus and a trash truck, classmate Lilibeth Gómez, 9, also lost her life. Lilibeth’s service was held last weekend at Our Lady Queen of the Americas Catholic Church in N.W. Washington.

Harrison’s funeral Mass was celebrated April 25 at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Arlington and was presided over by its pastor, Father Gerard Creedon (pictured above), and parochial vicar, Father John O’Hara.

"Harrison was an incredible boy, very active," said Father Creedon after the service, which was closed to the press as requested by the Harrison family.

"In our family, in our hearts, you were, you are and always will be the best winner. Always you will be remembered as a lovely boy, happy, respectful, an athletic angel," reads a statement from the Harrison family delivered at the service.

A picture of Harrison wearing a blue and yellow soccer T-shirt and holding a trophy adorns the front.

"I baptized him in our parish in 2002 and he was about to receive his First Communion in just a few weeks," said Father Creedon, speaking to a dozen journalists, including Spanish language television networks Univision and Telemundo.

Susana Moncayo, parish secretary, was among the mourners attending the Spanish language service. "The Mass was beautiful, but sadness was from corner to corner, in every face," she said.

Moncayo said she is saw Harrison and his family every Sunday for the Spanish Mass.

Lilibeth Gómez and Harrison, both Hispanics, were students at Hoffman-Boston Elementary School in Arlington.

The accident is still under investigation to determine what caused the collision.