New Hampshire Town Set to Honor Journalist Killed by 1S1S

James Foley, in a photo from the website FreeJamesFoley.org, in Aleppo, Syria, in November 2012, the month he disappeared. By JESS BIDGOOD August 24, 2014

The quiet town of Rochester, N.H., prepared on Sunday to honor James Foley, the freelance journalist who was killed last week by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

A Mass was planned Sunday afternoon at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Rochester. Mr. Foley's parents, John and Diane Foley, who live in the town of about 30,000 residents, were planning to attend, along with other members of his family.

Mr. Foley, who would have turned 41 in October, grew up in New Hampshire before becoming a journalist and covering conflicts in countries like Libya and Syria. He was covering the civil war in Syria when he disappeared on Nov. 22, 2012. Mr. Foley reappeared last week in a video depicting his beheading by an ISIS fighter who said the killing was payback for the recent United States military operations in Iraq.

His death has drawn condemnation from world leaders, including President Obama, and an outpouring of grief. An online memorial, Remembering Jim, has collected dozens of tribute photographs, and Mr. Foley's family is collecting donations for a scholarship and fund in his honor.

On Saturday night, a vigil in Rochester drew about 200 people, according to New England Cable News, including Mr. Foley's parents, who briefly addressed the group.

"I want to thank you for understanding Jim's heart," Mr. Foley's mother said. "And I pray that we will take up the challenge to love like Jim did, and to really work for peace in this world."

Gov. Maggie Hassan directed flags across New Hampshire to be lowered to half-staff on Sunday in honor of Mr. Foley.

"James Foley exemplified the best of our journalistic ideals, fearlessly going to some of the world's most dangerous places to expose the horrific consequences of war and the beautiful humanity of those innocent civilians affected by it," Ms. Hassan said in a statement.

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