Grieving town will celebrate girl’s life

Many hope the ceremony will provide a measure of solace to the many children confused and frightened by the unexplained death of their friend.

“The community agrees that we should go forward,’’ said Karen Belknap, 41, a member of the Stewartstown Day Committee. “It will be a good thing for the children, and that’s what’s important.’’

Celina went missing July 25, prompting an exhaustive search that involved more than 100 members of the FBI and police from three states. On Monday, divers discovered her body in a stretch of the Connecticut River that flows through a hydroelectric dam.

On Wednesday, investigators searched her home, where she lived with her mother, stepfather, and older sister and where she was last seen. Authorities also seized a pickup truck from the driveway. No suspects have been named.

An autopsy on Celina’s body has so far proved inconclusive.

The Rev. Craig Cheney of the North American Martyrs Parish in Colebrook, N.H., said he believes that the parade will help bring some joy back to a shaken, grief-stricken town.

“The consciousness of this town has been assailed,’’ he said. “It’s not just an attack against a child. People here see it as an attack against what they stand for, what they are.’’

Still, it will take much more than a parade to help residents move past her death, he said. In recent days, he said, a number of people have asked him how something so evil could happen to someone good.

To help people come to terms with their emotions, residents will gather Monday night at the community school in nearby Canaan, Vt., to pray, share memories, and watch a slideshow of photos from Celina’s life.

In the face of tragedy, Cheney said, it is important for friends, family, and neighbors to come together, especially in a town so small and interconnected.

In recent days, Stewartstown Day organizers approached local police, town officials, and child care professionals about their concerns. They worried that the festival might be disrespectful and that children might find it hard to participate.

“We thought about it a lot,’’ Belknap said.

The floats will fit the themes of television shows, and the festivities will include the coronation of the Stewartstown Queen, a title awarded to the young woman who sells the most buttons as part of a community fund-raiser.

“We’re doing this so that the children can have something else to think about,’’ Belknap said.

Cheney hoped that some residents would draw comfort if authorities identify a suspect in Celina’s death. But true healing only comes with time, he said.

“For a long time, every time people drive up Route 3, they are going to look across to that trestle over the dam,’’ Cheney said. “And they’re going to remember that’s where they found Celina.’’

Peter Schworm can be reached at schworm@globe.com. Martine Powers can be reached at mpowers@globe.com.