Priest at Alex Ross-King farewell calls for action on drug deaths

A priest who conducted tragic teen Alex Ross-King’s funeral says standing next to her coffin prompted him to ask “very deep questions” including about NSW’s deepening party drugs crisis.

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A priest who conducted tragic teen Alex Ross-King’s funeral says standing next to her coffin prompted him to ask “very deep questions” including about NSW’s deepening party drugs crisis.

More than 500 mourners poured into Gosford Anglican Church on Wednesday to farewell the popular 19-year-old, who became the fifth person to die of a suspected overdose at NSW music festivals in four months after attending the FOMO festival in Parramatta on January 12.

Outspoken Father Rod Bower, who oversaw the “gentle” service, told the Daily Telegraph the day was “tough, especially for the family and her friends”.

“Certainly, the experience of standing at the coffin of a 19-year-old person with potential and a great future (ahead of them) is a moment of reflection, you ask very deep questions,” he said.

Festival goers at the Fomo Music Festival. Picture: David Swift.

Alex Ross-King.

“The word I would use (to describe the service) is gentle. Alex was a beautiful soul and that shone through in the gathering with family and friends.”

During the service, Fr Bower did not talk about the political debate surrounding drug deaths at festivals and rather focused on Alex as a person.

Family members also gave speeches and read from verses from the bible.

But afterwards Fr Bower took to social media and questioned what must be done to stop the drug deaths.

“We stood beside a coffin containing the body of a 19-year-old person who had the potential for a long and fulfilling life,” he wrote.

“Why were we there?

“Many commentators have said we were there because young people sometimes make poor choices, and they are right. They also say that young adults need to take responsibility for their actions, and they are right. Others suggest that “pill testing” is not the answer and they are right, although I do believe that it is part of the question.

“There seems to me that there are a lot of people standing around being “right”, while young people are still dying.

“Which for me prompts the question: When will we love our kids more than we love being right?”

Father Rod Bower posting to the Anglican Parish of Gosford Facebook page. Picture: Facebook

Ms Ross-King’s death – along with the deaths of the four other young people – has sparked a massive debate in NSW on how to handle the growing problem with party drugs, including the powerful substance MDMA.

One of Alex’s closest friends previously told the Telegraph that teenager was not a drug taker and was an “alcohol girl” before her sudden death after a dance rave.

“I was really close with her and she never took drugs,” the friend said.

Ms Ross-King attended Narara Valley High School and was working at her family’s butcher shop near Lisarow before her death.

It is believed she took a party bus with friends from the Central Coast to Parramatta and ingested at least two MDMA caps or pills on the day she died.

Fr Bower said a wave of hospitalisations during three “high risk” festivals last weekend only compounded the importance of Ms Ross-King’s funeral.

“We are in the midst of a great deal of tragedy at the moment, there was other young people taken to hospital over the weekend, it’s an important time to have a discussion,” he said.

“Many commentators have said we were there because young people sometimes make poor choices, and they are right. They also say that young adults need to take responsibility for their actions, and they are right. Others suggest that “pill testing” is not the answer and they are right, although I do believe that it is part of the question.

“There seems to me that there are a lot of people standing around being “right”, while young people are still dying.