Pam Panchak, Post-Gazette
	Two women console each other following the funerals at Mt. Ararat Baptist Church yesterday Listen In: Quotes from the Rev. William H. Curtis, senior pastor of Mount Ararat Baptist Church in Larimer, from his eulogy for the five children killed in a house fire early Tuesday morning. Where is God? We have sacrificed enough children. Five angels have died.

Standing in the pulpit behind five small caskets, the Rev. William H. Curtis yesterday offered comfort to grieving family members but admonished the African-American community to change a culture in which too many children are dying.

More than 1,200 mourners gathered at Mount Ararat Baptist Church in Larimer for the funerals for the five children killed in a house fire Tuesday.

The children, from two close-knit families, were Azequel Rankin, 5, Andre Rankin, 6, Dezekiah Holyfield, 3, Cedano Holyfield Jr., 4, and Daekia Holyfield, 7. They were later buried together in Allegheny Cemetery.

Family members, including mothers Furaha Love of Hazelwood and Shakita Mangham, in whose home the children died, were seated in the front pews, where they tearfully embraced each other.

"Where is God in the loss of five children?" the Rev. Curtis asked to a congregation that included Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato. "God is triumphant, even over tragedy, heartbreak and disappointment."

Mourners alternated between openly weeping and singing praises as they heard condolences from neighboring churches, readings from the Bible, and family recollections of the five children.

Family member Asia Holyfield read a poem dedicated to the three Holyfield children in which she described each of their personalities.

"You were my butterfly," she said of Dezekiah, the youngest of the Holyfields, the children of Ms. Mangham.

"A smile like the sunrise and moves like the wind. Mind sharp like a razor and a personality that betrayed innocence."

The Rev. Curtis' eulogy focused on the biblical story of Abraham, who was called by God to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. The Rev. Curtis urged the predominantly African-American congregation to recognize the sacrifice of the five children as a call to change the culture of the community.

"We've sacrificed enough children on the cultural altar," he said. "We've given enough to the streets, we've given enough to the jails, and we've given enough to tragedy. When will we begin to sacrifice children to God?"

His message, which brought mourners to their feet again and again, called for a strengthening of faith and kinship. And he warned the mourners to mend a society that does not keep its promise of a better life to its poorer members.

"I say to my people today, what probably is long overdue," the Rev. Curtis said. "We've given up our strong cultural roots, our community ethic, our family commitment and our ethnic pride. ... [Let's] go back to being the people we were when we produced liberators and social protest giants, when the stores in our community were owned by us.

"The road back to power is the road of faith. Only faith will save our children. Only faith will heal our communities. And only faith will open new doors and bring fresh options. These five angels have sacrificed their lives to call a community meeting to order. So that we can decide that a new agenda is needed."

It was a theme that resonated with Donna Simms-Key, secretary for the Lincoln Technology Academy Parent-Teacher Organization. One of the children who died went to school there, as did one of the two children who escaped the blaze.

"It was a wonderful ceremony -- this community, everybody putting their differences aside and coming together and making sure we gave [the children] a proper home-going."

Denise Fryson, one of many mourners who did not know the families but came to show support, said she sympathized with the mothers.

"As every parent, that's your biggest nightmare, to lose your child," Ms. Fryson said. "Such a tragedy, but like the pastor said, God is trying to tell us something. We all need to come together and stop going against each other. We need to recognize we're all in this struggle together, and the only way we're going to come through this struggle is through a higher power."

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, which they believe was started by children playing with matches, and why the children -- including two 8-year-old boys who escaped the fire -- apparently were home alone at 1 a.m. Tuesday.

But many of those attending yesterday's service cautioned against finger-pointing.

Community activist Jibril Abdul-Hafeez, who attended the service after taking part in a morning prayer breakfast with the mayor and other community representatives, said, "It's a shame on the whole of Pittsburgh."

"Who's responsible? This city has been responsible for [people living in poverty] for years and years. How can you arrest and prosecute these women for neglect, and you won't prosecute the past leaders of this city for neglect?"

The Rev. Curtis addressed that point in the closing of his eulogy.

"There is an alternative to kids dying," he said. "There's an alternative to our kids fighting each other and killing each other and selling poison to each other. The alternative is not ... passing blame and talking divisively and being negative.

"What does it matter? Five angels have died! Who cares what happened and how it happened and when it happened? It's our children who have died. ... Up on the mountain you don't care whose fault it is or who did what. Up on the mountain we're trying to hear what God is saying and where God is trying to take us. So family, lift up your heads."