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Nearly one year after the shooting at Central Peninsula Hospital, this was the scene outside the building: Instead of police prowling the perimeter of the facility, about 100 hospital employees, community members and victims' family members slowly circled CPH singing, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine."

As they marched, they passed white paper bags filled with neon glow sticks. In the cold air, the glow sticks weren't quite illuminated, but their message of hope, healing and forgiveness still seemed to shine.

Before circling the building with song and prayer, everyone sat for a memorial service in the hospital's Denali Conference Room Wednesday morning. The ceremony was dedicated to remembering and moving past Nov. 26, 2008, when Joseph Marchetti opened fire inside the hospital, killing director Mike Webb and severely wounding director Margaret Stroup.

"The tragedy is part of our history, part of our lives, part of our story. It's part of who we are," Meg Zerbinos, CPH's spirit care coordinator, told the attendees. "We need to bring these memories into the light for healing and hope."

In the sprit of that beacon of hope, Jerry Stroup, Margaret's husband, spoke openly about what he and his family have dealt with this past year. At times he broke into tears, but for the most part, Stroup's words were lively and light.

"I like to see people laugh. I like to see people enjoy life, and that's why I am here today," Stroup said after opening with a joke. "Don't let this tragedy get you down. I was hoping that I wouldn't see sad people here today. I want to see happy people."

Jeremy Ley read a letter on behalf of Webb's wife, Valerie.

"It's only with God's mercy that we have made it through this. He has helped us, with one foot in front of the other when we could not do it on our own," the letter said. "We hope that you can begin to put this terrible tragedy behind you and look ahead with us in healing. We do not understand why this horrible thing has happened, but we do know that God is in control and that someday we will understand completely."

Stroup said Margaret is continuing with her recovery and is scheduled for surgery on Dec. 10.

"She's lost 40 percent of her lung capacity. This is going to pose a problem, but she says, 'It ain't going to be no problem. I'm going get through it, and I'm going to surprise them all.'" Stroup said. "I hope and pray she does."

On the day of the memorial, Stroup said Margaret was going in to have her lungs checked.

Also on the day of the memorial, hospital business continued almost as usual, even in the radiology department where Stroup was the director. Patients sat for CT scans. Michelle Parks, an administrative assistant who was working in radiology on the day of the shooting, filled out statistics sheets Wednesday.

"We're just trying to keep busy and stay strong," Parks, who still remembers the sounds of the gunshots, said. "You grow up. You learn to have hope."

Hospital CEO Ryan Smith praised his staff's ability to move beyond last year's shooting and continue to care for the community.

"While we may someday walk separate paths, we will always have an unbreakable bond from dealing with this adversity as a cohesive team," Smith said during the ceremony. "I'm proud of every employee here for the exceptional quality of care and high level of treatment and patient satisfaction we have continued to provide during what some would call an unsustainable lull of organizational adversity."

Maybe there was a reason that, unlike the glow sticks outside, the ones in the bags inside the hospital were effervescent, glowing with hope.

Before the service re-entered the hospital after the prayer-filled lap, Father Andy Sensenig with Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church reminded everyone to escape the darkness of hatred and sadness.

"Let our light shine and don't let it go out when the cold winds and darkness of our despair come out," he said. "Let our light shine forth and give hope to the community."

Andrew Waite can be reached at andrew.waite@peninsulaclarion.com.