CHARLESTON: Bells tolled across the city, thousands linked up on a towering bridge and a historic sanctuary reopened in displays of unity as Charleston heals from a church massacre and gets set for a week of victims' funerals.

Area residents repeated messages of solidarity, love and even defiance of evil at the remembrances, hopeful their expressions would drown out the hate embodied in the slayings at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

As Emanuel's congregation sang a gospel hymn, church bells rang throughout the "Holy City" —nicknamed because of the numerous churches here.

Later Sunday, thousands of people gathered on either side of the city's iconic Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge and marched across in a showing of solidarity and healing.