Mass to Be Held for Cousins Killed in Crash

will hold a Mass this week for the two cousins that were recently killed in a car accident on El Camino Real in San Bruno.

Arnulfo Picazo, 39, and Usbaldo Gomez, 37, were with each other at St. Bruno’s on the day they were . Gomez had just baptized his baby daughter, and Picazo took part in the ceremony as her godfather. The baptism ended just minutes before the fatal accident.

The earlier this month, and hundreds poured in the church to mourn the loss of Picazo and Gomez.

In their honor, St. Bruno's will be holding a Mass at 6 p.m. on Friday.

Father Michael Brillantes, the pastor at St. Bruno’s, said the following about Picazo and Gomez in the church's recent Sunday newsletter (Brillantes also mentioned two other funerals that were held at the church):

Any death is hard to take, especially when the deceased is young and death comes suddenly and unexpectedly. That was the case with these deaths, especially for those who died in the accidents. There are “whys” that can’t be answered. There are three things that I observed that soften the blow: faith, family and food.  Faith is the assurance that God is with us in joy or in sorrow and the confidence that death does not have the last say. I observed in the calm demeanor of the bereaved families this kind of faith.  If the family (including extended families) is united, the members pull together. They stop their daily routine and make allowance to lend support, offer prayers and condolences or simply be present. The church was jam packed at the double funeral. It was so moving to see so many people in attendance.  All the funerals were followed with reception. When family and friends come together for food and drink in a celebratory way, it is an expression of hope and an encouraging sign that despite such a debacle as death, life moves on. It’s not that the grieving period is rushed or the dead forgotten but that eventually one has to shake off the somber mood and be up and about again and tackle life and its challenges with determination.

St. Bruno's Church is located at 555 San Bruno Ave. West in San Bruno.