August 29, 2025
We are united in prayer for those who died, were injured and traumatized by the attack on Wednesday at Annunciation Catholic School during Mass in Minneapolis. We pray that Our Lord will embrace in his love the children who died; heal those who were injured; and grant strength and consolation to the children’s families and the entire community. We entrust the shooter to God’s divine love and infinite mercy.
As we continue to witness killings and violence in our country, we ask: “What can we do to eradicate such evil?” Regrettably, I have seen some elected officials and media personalities dismiss the power of prayer. We alone cannot bring peace to the world. Only with the Lord is peace possible.
Christians do not consider prayer as a substitute for action, rather we recognize that prayer is the foundation for all good and holy work. Prayer is also a means by which we grow in relationship with God and even plead with him to reform our broken and wounded hearts. Thus, we must never tire of praying fervently for the precious gift of peace that our world, nation, and communities need in abundance.
Some have answered the question of “What we can do?” in the face of attacks like those on Annunciation Catholic School by reducing the issue to merely one of gun violence. There is no doubt that reasonable law can and should prevent the easy legal acquisition of firearms by those, for instance, whose criminal behavior or psychological and mental health conditions suggest that gun ownership would present a grave risk because they may mistakenly feel license to do harm.
At the same time, we must respect the basic rights of citizens and soberly recognize that criminal violence by its nature will never be entirely constrained by law. The issue of gun violence, like all forms of life-threatening violence, will always be challenging, but it must be addressed by elected officials and law enforcement officers with a renewed commitment to uphold laws and equitably protect the lives of vulnerable citizens. May the Holy Spirit lead and guide public servants in their work.
At the heart of every social issue is the human person. We have become afraid as a society to speak about the crisis of persons who manifest delusions, far removed from reality, and are dealing with temptations and inner torments. We must acknowledge and respond to the crisis of mental health in our country.
Those who violently take the lives of innocent children surely have severe mental or emotional health challenges. So often, such persons demonstrate behaviors that are alarming and routinely go unaddressed. Out of love for them and others, we must speak the truth, name the issue, and provide the mental and emotional support needed prior to their acting out in ways that harm themselves or others.
Federal and state lawmakers have a particular responsibility to ensure that those so afflicted, but perhaps abandoned by those closest to them, may still receive lifesaving health care.
In the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, we have established a Mental Health Council with talented and gifted experts to assist in providing guidance, responses and resources to support those experiencing mental health issues as well as to their family members. We are also committed to providing training for counselors who are, first and foremost, capable of speaking the truth in love to those struggling while also emphasizing the sacredness of all human life, the dignity that belongs to each person as divine image bearers, and the happiness that God wants us all to enjoy.
May God continue to bless all such endeavors so that all those crying out for help may receive the pastoral, psychological and spiritual support necessary for true happiness.
What can we do? Certainly, more than one thing. We can encourage greater fervency among leaders and communities to proactively protect our churches and schools. We can acknowledge the vast scale of the mental health crisis afflicting our nation and encourage elected officials to reform our laws so that those suffering mentally or emotionally may receive lifesaving care.
As faithful citizens, we can promote peace through acts of charity and compassion, accompanying those who struggle and suffer, and encourage growth in virtue in our communities. Above all, we can and must pray with daily fervency, calling out to the Lord, striving to remain close to him, and asking him to grant us all the peace only he can give.