The people who died in a crash near Aughnacloy, County Tyrone, have been named locally.
They are Dan McKane, his sister Christine Duffy and their aunt Julia McSorley.
They were killed when their minibus collided with a lorry on the A5 Tullyvar Road.
A parish priest said the family were returning from their aunt’s funeral in England when the crash happened.
Four others in the minibus were seriously injured.
Fr Declan Boland, from Strabane, told the BBC the family and local community are in total disbelief at the tragedy.
“The community are struggling to comprehend what is happening. We have to face into the horror of the bodies coming home and then the funerals,” he said.
Fr Boland visited the home of Ms Duffy on Thursday where people had come together to pay tribute.
“People were just gathering in groups, not saying an awful lot but just being there in silent solidarity, embracing one another,” he said.
“It really is a silent witness where words are really inadequate.”
Fr Boland said the local community are deeply shocked and saddened by Thursday’s crash
The serious crash required the use of cutting equipment to rescue casualties, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said.
Two people in post-operative care in Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital are badly injured but will pull through, Fr Boland added.
A rosary for those affected by the crash will take place at the Holy Grotto in Strabane at 19:00 BST on Friday.
“The last time we met there was sadly the Creeslough tragedy, and now we have our own tragedy,” Fr Boland said.
A special Mass will also be held in Aughnacloy on Friday night.
