Tears and turnout funeral for the two Staten Island boys who were swept away from their mother's arms and killed during Superstorm Sandy



The two children who were swept to their deaths from their mother’s arms during Superstorm Sandy are now ‘in God’s embrace,’ mourners heard today at their funeral.



During prayers for Brandon and Connor Moore their grieving parents Damien and Glenda were also told that they have gone ‘straight to heaven’ - and that Mrs Moore should not blame herself for their deaths.



The couple broke down and cried on the steps of the church as they walked behind the single white coffin containing both the boys, who were aged two and four.

Tears: Damien (second from left) fights back tears as his wife Glenda Moore (third from left) wipes her tears away

Sad Day: Sanitation department officials look on as the hearse arrives

The deaths of Brandon and Connor were the most gut-wrenching of all the 111 people who have died in the US from Superstorm Sandy - but also the most outrageous.



Neighbours refused to help Mrs Moore when she knocked on their doors and instead slammed the door in her face and said: ‘I don’t know you. I’m not going to help you’..



The funeral took place 11 days later at 10.30am at the St Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn.



The hearse arrived first, in front of it was a car with flowers on the back and behind was a limousine with Mr and Mrs Moore and other family members inside.



As they all arrived the sanitation workers stood in a salute whilst three of them played ‘Amazing Grace’ on bagpipes.



They also hoisted parade flags and some wore soldier style ceremonial dress.



Mr Moore, who was wearing a grey suit, black jacket and a grey tie, and Mrs Moore, who was wearing a black coat with white fur trim pulled close to her, stood on the pavement as seven sanitation worker pallbearers lifted the coffin out of the hearse and carried it up the stairs.



Stoic: The parents try to hold themselves together outside the church Both boys were in the same white coffin with gold adornments - it was 6ft long and at one end had ‘Brandon Moore’ inscribed in a small gold plaque. At the other end, facing it, was another with the words ‘Connor Moore’ written on it.

The 45 minute proceedings began with a white cover being placed over the coffin as the mourners filed in and packed the church.

The traditional Roman Catholic service was led by Guy Sansaricq, the auxiliary bishop of Brooklyn, who led prayers and hymns including a reading from the Gospel of St Paul and rendition of ‘The Lord is my Shepherd.’

Colleagues: Damien Moore's coworkers help one of the coffins Delivering the liturgy, the Bishop said that the service was ‘to give comfort to Damien and Glenda’..

He said: ‘An event like this can help us to realise that what is important is eternal life. Indeed, the present life is very precious but we are destined to share the glory of Christ in eternity.

‘Brandon and Connor were born, they baptised and adopted by God and were destined to share in the glory of Christ.

‘In this hour of grief instead of asking themselves all sort of questions, especially instead of wondering if they did something wrong, they should simply surrender to God...Death is part of our human life.

‘Sometimes when an adult dies we don’t know where he or she goes but when a child dies we know that it goes straight to heaven.’

He also urged the congregation to ‘rejoice in the gift of God even though we have to go through these tribulations.’ Mr Colapietro then offered prayers that Brandon and Connor would be ‘held securely in God’s embrace for now and all eternity.’ Tears: Damien and Glenda Moore break out in tears at the funeral of their two boys The congregation took communion including Mr and Mrs Moore, who were in the front row, before the bodies were carried out again by the pallbearers to another salute from Mr Moore’s colleagues.

Noel Kilkenny, the consul general of Ireland was also among the mourners. Mr Moore, 39, is originally from Portnoo in Donegal, Ireland.

Speaking afterwards, Mr Kilkenny said: 'There have been a lot of victims, a lot of victims...but somehow this one more than any other captured people, not just in Ireland, in Ireland people are very attached, but the idea of two children being swept away from her mother's arms is something truly truly tragic.

'It was a hugely powerful service. For those of us who are believers it's hugely reassuring and uplifting and for those who aren't it’s a wonderful occasion that brings the community together.

'The response from Ireland has been huge because inevitably these were Irish children. They're American kids also but these were the two most visible and heart wrenching sign of the tragedy.'

Mr Kilkenny added that there was a service taking place in Portnoo that coincided with the service in Brooklyn. Among those attending that would be Mr Moore's parents, who are in their 80s and moved back home having spent decades in New York. Last Goodbye: Damien Moore looks on as his friends and coworkers do the honor It was last Monday that tragedy struck the family as Mrs Moore, 39, a nurse, was taking their children to her mother’s house for safety.

She got stuck trying to leave Staten Island as the 14ft storm surge swelled around her Ford Explorer SUV.

Mrs Moore unbuckled Brandon and Connor from their seat belts and put one of them under each arm, but as she got out the car a giant wave sucked them away from her.

Their bodies were found three days later in marshland a short distance away.

Final Words: During the service, payers were offered that Brandon and Connor would be 'held securely in God's embrace for now and all eternity' What sparked outrage among Mr Moore’s friends and family is that when Mrs Moore went for help the first resident slammed the door in her face.

When in despair she went to a second house they turned the light off when she rang the bell.

Mrs Moore was left to sit in a doorway screaming in unimaginable agony for 12 long hours until daylight when she flagged down a passing police car.

The man who allegedly refused has claimed that he did so because he was wearing shorts and flip flops and could not go out in a storm.

Alan Ferretti, 48, a dentist, also blamed Mrs Moore for the tragedy and said she should not have been out on the road.

He will not face any charges.

Mrs Moore is said to have confronted Ferretti the day after the tragedy when she went to the scene and had to be restrained as she screamed: ‘I asked you to help me, you bastard!’

Father Ilyas Gill, who said the homily at a wake for the boys on Thursday, said he had spoken to Mrs Moore and that the rejection in her time of need was the hardest part of it all.

He said: ‘She's very sad, as you can imagine, because nobody opened the door. That is a sad part. That is a sad part.’

Happier Times: Damien and Glenda Moore on their wedding day















