A vigil has been held in the chapel of rest within the British Cemetery in Buenos Aires, marking one month to the day since British popstar Liam Payne‘s fatal fall from a third-floor balcony in the city.
Over one hundred mourners – predominately young girls – queued for an hour outside the chapel, many clutching roses, small bouquets and even action figures of the former One Direction star.
As the clock struck 11am, local Catholic priest, Daniel, gave a moving sermon inside the chapel – where Payne’s body was kept for five days prior to being repatriated.
‘Liam’s songs put into words what was going on in your hearts,’ he told the congregation. ‘We are here to pray for him. God is universal and so whatever is happening here is happening too in England.’
‘We ask God to give Liam peace. And your love and affection will help him to find that peace. Remember, fame can light things up, but it can also blind you,’ the priest concluded, sagely, before the crowd erupted into spontaneous applause.
A vigil has been held in the chapel of rest within the British Cemetery in Buenos Aires, marking one month to the day since British popstar Liam Payne ‘s fatal fall from a third-floor balcony in the city
Over one hundred mourners – predominately young girls – queued for an hour outside the chapel, many clutching roses, small bouquets and even action figures of the former One Direction star
Liam Payne died one month ago today after he fell from a balcony in Argentina
After the service, the mourners – many of whom struggled to hold back tears – formed a long queue leading up to the altar where they left their own tributes
After the service, the mourners – many of whom struggled to hold back tears – formed a long queue leading up to the altar where they left their own tributes including pictures, flowers and small trinkets.
Gimena and her sister Natalia – 22 and 29 – attended in matching T-shirts emblazoned with the words: ‘Liam Payne Choose Love.’
‘We grew up watching Liam,’ Gimena told the Mail. ‘He was part of our childhood and teenage years, now we just can’t believe he is gone.
‘We went to the CasaSur hotel where he died,’ added Natalia. ‘We left a message thanking him and saying how happy we were to have shared our youth with him. We will love him forever.’
18-year-old Augustina told the Mail: ‘I fancied Liam since I was six years old. Today is a horrible day. It might be a month since his death but it feels to us like the first day. It’s important for his fans to stick together in these times.’
18-year-old Augustina told the Mail: ‘I fancied Liam since I was six years old. Today is a horrible day’
As the clock struck 11am, local Catholic priest, Daniel, gave a moving sermon inside the chapel – where Payne’s body was kept for five days prior to being repatriated
The priest said: ‘Liam’s songs put into words what was going on in your hearts. We are here to pray for him. God is universal and so whatever is happening here is happening too in England’
A collection has been started to pay for a small plaque on one of the cemetery’s benches in Liam’s honour
The crowd remained in the cemetery long after the service had concluded, exchanging stories and comforting one another
Struggling to speak through her tears, 61-year-old Marisa – from nearby La Plata and who organised today’s gathering via social media and fan WhatsApp groups – revealed: ‘This is our way of showing Liam’s family that we care. His body was kept here for five days, so it’s important to have a priest deliver a blessing in this sanctuary.’
Marisa’s daughter, Luana, 26, told the Mail that she had met Liam’s father, Geoff Payne, shortly after the singer’s death in Buenos Aires. ‘I gave him a bundle of condolence letters from my friends. He was very grateful. I also gave him a bottle of dulche de leche which he liked because Liam liked it very much.’
The crowd remained in the cemetery long after the service had concluded, exchanging stories and comforting one another. A collection has since been started to pay for a small plaque on one of the cemetery’s benches in Liam’s honour.
‘I never got to meet Liam,’ sobbed 32-year-old Valentina. ‘So this is the closest I’ll ever get to him. I’ll pray for him, I’ll bring flowers. There will always be something of him here in Buenos Aires.’