Students moved by the farewell to the teacher killed by her nephew

“Thank you for believing in each and every one of us, for all the time you gave us. Today we say goodbye to you with tears in our eyes, but also with so much gratitude in our hearts. We will do our very best to make you proud.” Amidst the crowd of friends and relatives who filled the parish church of San Stino di Livenza (Venice) for Chiara Guerra’s funeral, the words of her pupils rang out during the service. With voices choked with tears, from the altar of the packed church, “her Class 2A pupils” confided that “even today” they struggle to believe that their teacher, stabbed to death by her 17-year-old nephew on 11 June at the age of 52, “will never enter the classroom again”.

But despite the grief, there is still room to thank the teacher, because “she taught us that every day should be lived with courage, respect and gratitude”. Speaking during the ceremony, some students described Guerra as “a teacher who always found time for a word of advice, a kind word, a discreet yet constant presence. We will miss her voice and her kindness: she taught us – they said – that school is not just a place where we study, but where we come together”. And together, at the end of the ceremony in the parish church, the young people took their place at the head of the procession which, following the hearse carrying the coffin, made its way to the town cemetery for the burial.

Holding white and light blue balloons in their hands, the pupils had printed their surnames and numbers on their T-shirts – just like footballers – to represent the composition of the class their teacher used to teach. During his homily, the parish priest of San Stino, Father Alberto Arcicasa, emphasised the need for respect in the face of a violent death: “Because death, especially when it occurs in this way, is a tragedy for everyone. It is not an event to be exploited for spectacle,” he explained. He then emphasised the theme of “human dignity”. But he also stressed the need for “the support the family deserves”, a family that has been struck by a “double tragedy”. Among the final speakers was one of Guerra’s colleagues: “We want to remember you with a smile, to picture you in our minds, to hear your words again and to relive our encounters,” said the woman, visibly moved. The ceremony was also attended by the mayor of San Stino di Livenza, Gianluca De Stefani, who declared a day of mourning for the entire duration of the funeral service.