Christina-Taylor Green, the youngest victim of Saturday's shooting spree, was laid to rest in a custom casket made by a group of Trappist monks in Iowa.
The red-oak casket was made by Trappist Caskets, and is the work of the self-sufficient Roman Catholic monks, said Sam Mulgrew, manager of the enterprise.
An associate of the family contacted the group, asking if it would be willing to make a casket for 9-year-old Christina-Taylor, said Mulgrew, who is not a monk.
"We said we would be happy to oblige, and they said they would be happy to accept because they're Catholic," he said.
The monks received the order at about 8 a.m. Tuesday and finished the special casket by 3 p.m. the same day, he said.
The lid was engraved with Christina-Taylor's name, along with her dates of birth and death.
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The monks also made five crosses for the family from the red oak and inscribed them with the same details, he said.
In the spring, the monks will plant a tree as a memorial for Christina-Taylor, he said.
Mulgrew described their work as a "corporal work of mercy."
"It's a way for them to reach out, a way for them to be involved," he said.
Jamar Younger
