BY KATHI STEARNS

Staff Writer

ATLANTA--The tragedy that struck Oklahoma City one year ago has "changed the way we look at life forever," said the city's Archbishop Eusebius Beltran.

"Today I truly believe that people here see the real meaning of life more clearly than they ever have before because we've all witnessed firsthand how precarious life really is and how quickly it can be taken away," the archbishop said.

A year after a massive bomb ripped through the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building killing 168 people and injuring 400, Archbishop Beltran believes that people in the city have a greater understanding of the sanctity of life.

"Since the blast, people have grown in their appreciation and realization that life is a gift from God," Archbishop Beltran said in a telephone interview with The Georgia Bulletin.

"Everyone's life was touched by this tragedy in one way or another. Everyone seemed to know someone who had lost a friend, a parent or a child. It touched each of us in a truly personal way and changed the way we look at life forever."

The archbishop, formerly a priest of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, joined other religious and ecumenical leaders, families of the victims and survivors at a private memorial service held on the first anniversary at the site where the federal building once stood. Those who died April 19, 1995 were remembered with 168 seconds of silence.

"It was a very respectful observation that was accompanied by a very somber mood," the archbishop said. "In a sense it was almost like a reunion. The rescuers, the survivors and the victims' families were all together again to share the sorrow and continue the healing process. There were also many survivors of the bombing in attendance who had not fully recovered from their injuries and who may never do so."

As the victims' names were publicly announced, family members walked to the fenced grassy area where the federal building once stood, to place flowers, wreaths, toys and special messages on what has become almost sacred ground since last year's act of terrorism.

"Each time I saw someone go out there, I thought about the tragedy of lost life and the pain and anguish that the families of the victims have endured because of that loss of life," Archbishop Beltran said. "At least 30 of the people who lost their lives were Catholic and I knew many of them personally. I also thought about the survivors whose lives changed overnight, and my heart went out to them. It was a very moving experience."

The archbishop also participated in the procession of survivors and their families to the Myriad Convention Center, where a second, more public ceremony was held. Speeches by Vice President Al Gore as well as the mayor of Oklahoma City and the state's governor expressed both national and local feeling about the event.

"It was a solemn procession (to the convention center) but also very spirited," the archbishop said. "The streets were filled with people. I know it meant a lot to the survivors and the victims' families to be remembered in such a way."

The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City sponsored activities throughout the week to mark the anniversary. "This past week has been filled with the thoughts of the anniversary no matter where you went or what you did," Archbishop Beltran said. "We wanted to remember the victims, their families and the survivors as well as the rescuers who risked their lives as they pulled people from the rubble."

The archdiocese hosted a concert April 19 dedicated to Mary Queen of Peace that included an exhibit of Catholic schoolchildren's art drawn following the bombing. Memorial Masses were also held April 20 and 21.

Despite the fact that a year has passed since the massive blast Archbishop Beltran says that Oklahoma City is still in a process of healing. "The enormous grief that many of these people experienced is not gone," he said. "We continue to heal and get stronger day by day."

The structural damage to Old St. Joseph's Cathedral which is located a block away from where the federal building once stood, has yet to be repaired. "Our immediate focus was on the people, not the building," the archbishop said. "Once the needs of the people began to be met, we started work on the building. It's not expected to be totally renovated until September."

Since the tragedy the archbishop said he has been very grateful to the members of his Catholic community who came together to provide assistance for the victims, their families and the survivors.

"Even though we are only 0.4 percent of the population we have had an abundance of Catholics who came forward the day of the bombing to assist in any way they could," the archbishop said. "They continue to do that as needs arise. The Catholic Church has been a part of this from day one, and we continue to take an active role as people seek our assistance. I am very proud that we have been able to help out with counseling and the many other services we've tried to provide. It really has made a difference in so many people's lives."

As the nation awaits the trial in Denver of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols for their alleged roles in the bombing, the feelings of those in Oklahoma City about life and death surface in anger at the act of destruction which so personally affected them. At the same time Archbishop Beltran says they have developed, as a result of this very act, a renewed awareness of the need to respect life.

While U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno has said that the government will try to seek the death penalty in the bombing case, Archbishop Beltran continues to oppose this viewpoint.

"I've spoken on numerous occasions and written against the death penalty in the past and I'll do it again," he said. "The important thing is that the person or group of people who committed this crime be brought to trial and punished. I don't see any good that comes out of the death penalty at all in this case or in any other case."