WEST HARTFORD — A mass of intention being planned for a Connecticut woman lost at sea when her son's fishing boat sank is not happening, according to the parish.
Nathan Carman, who survived the Sept. 18 boat sinking, had been planning a service Wednesday morning at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford, but the church issued a statement Sunday night that said it was not being held.
The Archdiocese issued a statement for the parish that said:
On behalf of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford, I want to inform you that at this time there will not be a Mass of Intention at the parish for Linda Carman.
The church clarified that a body or a death certificate would need to be present for a memorial service to be held. The correct term is a Mass of Intention.
A lawyer representing Linda Carman's three sisters tells the Associated Press they and others aren't involved in the service. They say it's "premature and inappropriate" while there's an ongoing investigation into the incident.
Nathan Carman's attorney Hubert Santos said his 22-year old client hasn't given up hope his mother will be found, but believes it's an "appropriate time to begin the mourning process" since the Coast Guard ceased searching for his 54-year old mother last month.
Police have searched Nathan Carman's Vermont home under suspicions about his account of the sinking of his boat. He said these suspicions are compounding his grief over the apparent drowning of his mother.
Documents reveal Nathan was also a suspect in the unsolved murder of his grandfather, but was never charged.
Click here to read more about the disappearance of Linda Carman and the investigation surrounding her son.
