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.
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
