The pregnant girlfriend of Jose Fernandez was
seen in public for the first time since his death on Wednesday when she joined
his Marlins teammates to say goodbye to the star pitcher at an emotional memorial
service.
Maria Arias, 24, who is around four months pregnant with Fernandez's
baby, joined his fellow Marlins teammates at St. Brendan's Catholic Church for
the service.
Earlier, the players and friends had walked alongside a hearse carrying
the pitcher's casket as it drove by Marlins Park.
The entire Marlins team and numerous Marlins officials had gathered
outside the team's ballpark to send off the hearse to St. Brendan's Catholic
Church.
Then, hundreds of fans lined up to get into the Miami-area church for a
public viewing of the Marlins pitcher, who was killed in a weekend boat crash
along with two friends.
St. Brendan's Catholic Church opened its doors for the viewing at 5pm on
Wednesday.
People could be seen lined up for blocks and many said they felt
compelled to come because of Fernandez's popularity as a baseball player and a
hero to many in the Cuban-American community.
The viewing was scheduled to last until about 11pm. A private funeral
Mass is set for Thursdayfor the Fernandez family and Marlins players and
personnel.
Meanwhile, Fernandez's ex-fiancée called the late baseball star 'a
passionate, raw human being' in a touching Instagram tribute and has asked her
Instagram followers to respect his pregnant girlfriend.
Former Miami Marlins cheerleader-turned-nursing student Carla Mendoza
was in a relationship with Fernandez, who died with two friends early on Sunday
when his fishing boat crashed into a jetty at a high rate of speed, for three
years before he broke off their engagement in April.
The 24-year-old pitching ace then moved on to Arias, also 24, a former
college psychology major who became pregnant with his baby within weeks of
starting to date and is due to deliver his baby in February.
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