'Their Suffering Is Our Suffering . . . '

A special message from Catholic Vote: The first week of classes should be among the most joyful moments of the school year.  On Wednesday morning, it was instead a moment of unspeakable trauma for the Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis and a moment of heartbreak for the rest of America.  Gunfire pierced the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Two children were killed. Seventeen more were wounded. Fourteen of them children. The entire Catholic family across America and the world is shaken. We weep. We grieve. And we turn to Christ, who alone can bring peace where evil has left devastation.   CatholicVote stands in deep solidarity with Archbishop Bernard Hebda, the priests, the families of this community, and the faithful of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Their suffering is our suffering. Their wounds are the wounds of the Body of Christ.   From Rome, Pope Leo XIV sent a message of profound sorrow and fatherly closeness:   “His Holiness Pope Leo XIV was profoundly saddened to learn of the loss of life and injuries following the shooting that took place at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis, and he sends his heartfelt condolences and the assurance of spiritual closeness to all those affected by this terrible tragedy, especially the families now grieving the loss of a child.”   We join the Holy Father in commending the souls of these little ones to the embrace of Almighty God. We pray fervently for the wounded, for their parents, for first responders, and for the medical teams fighting to heal bodies and hearts. But we cannot stop at grief. This tragedy must stir us. Violence has no place in churches.  At this time of anguish, we invite every person of faith to rally in prayer, storming heaven for the children, their families, and the Catholic community of Minneapolis.  May the Apostolic Blessing of the Holy Father bring “peace, fortitude, and consolation in the Lord Jesus” to Minneapolis and to all who mourn.   And may the light of Christ overcome the darkness that struck at innocence this week. Go forward bravely,

Kelsey Reinhardt President, CatholicVote