A Catholic church service was held this past Sunday, April 1, for Franco Garcia, the Boston College chemistry major missing since Feb. 22.
The Saint Jude Parish on Main Street in Waltham held the service for the 21-year-old college junior, attended by dozens of family and friends who prayed together for a safe return.
Garcia was last seen in the early morning hours of Feb. 22 walking from a Mardi Gras celebration at a bar in Brighton called Mary Ann’s. A photograph was taken of him walking past Citizens Bank at 12:18 a.m. soon after he left the bar, but this was the only evidence found.
Although his neighborhood in West Newton, where he lives with his parents, and the Chestnut Hill Reservoir have been searched multiple times, no progress has been made in the case. The state police detectives, however, will continue to work with Newton police and search other places.
In an interview with WCVB TV Boston, Garcia’s mother, Luzmila, said, “God is with him and he’s going to give him back, my son. I have this in my heart.”