40 days since Lapu-Lapu Day festival car-ramming attack

It’s been exactly 40 days since 11 people were killed, and dozens of others were injured in the Lapu-Lapu Day festival car-ramming attack in Vancouver.

To honour the victims, a special mass is being held on Thursday.

In a statement, Filipino BC says the past few weeks have not felt real for the community that is still in mourning.

“Today marks 40 days since the tragic events of April 26. Forty days of grieving, remembering, surviving, and supporting one another through unimaginable loss,” it said.

“In Filipino culture, the 40th day holds deep spiritual meaning. It is believed that the soul remains close to us during these 40 days, before finding peace and fully departing from the physical world. This time is sacred: a moment to reflect, to offer prayers, and to let go with love.”

The group explains that the weight of the tragedy is still being felt deeply.

“The questions, the pain, the memories. They sit heavy in our hearts. And yet, in the quiet moments and in the loud ones, we have seen how grief brings people together. We have seen the power of community to hold space for sorrow and for strength.”

The cultural advocacy group is also thanking the wider community for the ongoing support.

“We honour those we lost on April 26. We speak their names. Their lives mattered deeply, and so does the grief of those left behind. This is not closure. Healing does not follow a schedule. But today offers a moment to pause. To gather. To feel. And to remind ourselves that healing, while difficult, is possible when we do it together,” Filipino BC said.

“To all those who have shown up over the past 40 days: thank you. Your acts of care, big and small, have brought light into a very dark time. As we move forward, may we continue to honour those we lost not just in memory but in action, in justice, and in how we care for each other every day.

“May their souls rest in peace. And may our community continue to find strength in each other.”

The mass gets underway at 6 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Parish on East 47th Avenue near Fraser Street Thursday.