According to Ms. Rhoads, on Monday evening a grandfather of one of the girls called on Marie Roberts, the widow of the killer, to express the forgiveness that is at the heart of Amish spirituality. Mrs. Roberts later sent a message to the local Amish bishop, asking permission to visit the community after the funerals.

"He was overjoyed," Ms. Rhoads said, adding that the bishop is a grandfather to some of the shooting victims. He said he had hoped that the Roberts family would come to visit, she said.

The Amish, who cultivate modesty and have religious injunctions against being photographed, have found the media attention disturbing. But there is a message they hope is transmitted by the same media that they will never see or read.

"The main thing they want to say to the world is not how awful this event is, but that their faith in God is strong and they have forgiven the shooter. They hope that other people throughout the nation will be drawn closer to God through their witness," she said.