NEWBURYPORT — A vigil for the late Rev. Helen Murgida will be held Thursday night in front of City Hall, just a few yards away from where she was struck and killed by a pickup truck last week.
Murgida was a community service minister affiliated with the First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist Church on Pleasant Street. She was struck by a motorist driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck near the Green and Pleasant streets intersection about 6:40 p.m. on Feb. 28 as she was walking to City Hall for Mayor Sean Reardon’s State of the City address. The incident is still under investigation by police.
“Giving people a chance to gather near the spot where this happened is actually really important for healing,” First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist Church leader the Rev. Rebecca Bryan said. “This is for everyone and anyone to just come and be together. It will be a simple event and yet, so important.”
Reardon was among many who watched as first responders jacked up the truck and removed Murgida from underneath. She was rushed to nearby Anna Jaques Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
“We had her lined up to do the opening prayer and she was covering for someone who had come down with COVID-19 that Monday,” Reardon said. “Rev. Rebecca asked Rev. Helen to do it and she didn’t hesitate.”
Bryan said Murgida was the type of person to help anyone who asked.
“She would always say, ‘Yes’ and ‘How can I help?'” Bryan said.
A short ceremony was held in Murgida’s memory at the church a day after her death. The vigil, which begins at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, is a joint event being held by the church and the city.
Reardon said it will feature a podium set up in front of City Hall and a choir is expected to sing “Amazing Grace.”
“We felt like we needed something to bring everyone together because it is so fresh for everyone,” he said. “We have some people here at City Hall who are still trying to deal with their feelings around it. So, why not give everyone an opportunity to come together? Because, that’s what community is all about.”
Murgida was born and raised in Somerville. She attended Matignon Cambridge High School and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northeastern University and Salem State University, as well as a doctorate from Nova Southeastern University.
She was the wife of the late Frank Murgida, (a longtime choir member who brought her to the Newburyport church) and the mother of two sons, Matthew Murgida of Somerville and Lucas Murgida of Santa Barbara, Calif.
A teacher at the Cotting School, Murgida also co-founded the Pentucket Workshop Preschool in Georgetown and held administrative positions at Somerville Charter School and Pathways Academy at McLean Hospital.
“She was way ahead of her time with special needs and what kids needed in the 1970s before this was anywhere where it is today,” Bryan said. “She advocated for those kids for almost her entire career. She was working as a consultant for the state and was going to retire at 81 in June.”
Bryan added that Murgida was a dear friend and colleague who always gave of herself.
“She was one of the most humble, dedicated, hardworking and big-hearted human beings that I knew,” Bryan said. “She just dedicated her life to service. She was an amazing person and, as a colleague, I couldn’t have asked for anyone better. She was supportive, loving, humble, but yet incredibly talented.”
In a column penned by Reardon and Bryan, the mayor declared the city would be doing what it could to make sure what happened last week never happens again.
“When we are ready, we will also find opportunities to take action. We will find ways to make our streets safer, to prevent tragedies like this in the future. We will also honor Rev. Helen’s legacy and look to further support the causes she championed. And we will continue to heal together in the coming months,” Reardon wrote.