Heartbreaking farewell to shooting victim, 9

The coffin for Christina Taylor Green seemed too small to hold the grief and despair of the 2,000 mourners who packed into St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church Thursday to say goodbye to the 9-year-old girl whose life began and ended with two of the nation's most soul-searching moments.

Reminders of the innocence of the bubbly girl born on Sept. 11, 2001, were everywhere: A group of little girls dressed in frilly dresses and white tights craned to see as their friend's coffin rolled into the church, and Christina's best friend sneaked them a wave from her place in the processional line.

Outside the church, more little girls - and hundreds of other people - wearing white and waving American flags lined both sides of the street for more than a quarter-mile to show their support. Hundreds of motorcycle riders stood guard and more than a dozen residents were dressed as angels.

Before the service, Christina's family and closest friends gathered under an enormous American flag recovered from Ground Zero and paused for a moment of silence, holding hands and crying.

"She would want to say to us today, 'Enjoy life,' " said Bishop Gerald Kicanas, who presided over the funeral. "She would want to say to us today, 'God has loved me so much. He has put his hand on me and prepared a place for me.' "

"Her time to be born was Sept. 11, 2001," he said. "Her time to die was the tragic day, Jan. 8, 2011, just 9 years old she was. But she has found her dwelling place in God's mansion. She went home."

The third-grader was one of six people killed Saturday when a gunman opened fire at an event for Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot through the head but survived. Thirteen others were injured.

At the church, the focus was on the little girl who was an avid swimmer and dancer, a budding politician and the only girl on her Little League team. Mounds of flowers - pink roses and wreaths - surrounded the closed coffin and a large photo of Christina and her older brother Dallas, 11, stood at the entrance to the church.

Her father, John Green, recalled in an emotional eulogy how his daughter used to pick blueberries, loved snorkeling and played for hours with her cousins and brother behind the house, directing the activities.

He recalled how once, upon returning from a two-week trip, he found his daughter and his wife dancing in the hallway, full of life and happiness.

"Christina Taylor Green, I can't tell you how much we all miss you," her father said, according to the Arizona Daily Star. "I think you have affected the whole country."

Billy Joel's "Lullaby," which begins "Goodnight, my angel, time to close your eyes," was performed at the end of the service.

Dante Mitchell, 8, was one of Christina's classmates who came to say goodbye. He's been sad since the shooting, his mother said, and asked to bring a giant teddy bear to Christina's funeral because she loved animals.

One of those at the funeral was New York City firefighter Jimmy Sands, who brought with him the American flag - old, badly torn but restitched - that had been taken from a building near the World Trade Center after the towers collapsed.

Volunteers from a foundation called New York Says Thank You have taken it to community picnics, professional football games and state capitols across the country.

It's a way of repaying the country for its help after the 9/11 attack. It's also just a way of doing good, said Sands, 38, who is with Engine Company 331/Ladder Company 173 in Howard Beach and a former volunteer with the Freeport Fire Department.

Before the funeral he delivered the 20-by-30-foot flag to local firefighters. Sands said he was doing this not for himself but for the family of the slain girl. "This is for them," he said, to let them know "New York is here for them . . . I see it as sacred."

With Nicholas Spangler