Hundreds of mourners gathered Saturday morning to pay their respects to three New Cassel children who police say were murdered last Sunday.

The funeral for the children ? Jewell, 6, Michael, 5, and Innocent, 1 ? was held at St. John?s Baptist Church in Westbury. The children were dressed in white and were carried into the church in the same casket. The family felt they should be buried together.

Rev. William Watson says the sermon at the funeral was one of comfort, hope and forgiveness. He says he will pray for Brewer, who police say drowned her three children and then laid them on her bed in their pajamas.

Relatives say the children would still be alive if someone had stepped in and helped Brewer with her mental illness. While the funeral took place, Brewer remained at Nassau University Medical Center where she continues to undergo psychiatric evaluations.

Brewer was officially charged with the murders on Wednesday.