My Dear Friends,
I was at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport preparing to return to South Jersey after a few days of summer rest with family and friends in Minnesota when I was informed of the horrific events that had unfolded earlier in the morning at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis. I immediately began praying a Rosary for the school children and for their families.
This unspeakable tragedy hit close to home for me, since I lived and served for 15 years at St. Stephen Church in south Minneapolis – just a few miles from Annunciation Church. The faithful of Annunciation were truly good neighbors to us and especially to the Latino families we served through our “Sagrada Familia” apostolate. The words of Saint Paul – “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7) – really came to life through them! Now their cheer has turned to grief, as they mourn the two children who were slain as they worshiped their Lord Jesus Christ in the school Mass.
How can we begin to process such a clearly disturbed and demonic act? Only with the help of God, who so loved the world that he gave up his only Son (Jn 3:16). Jesus, the Good Shepherd, took those two little lambs into his flock at their baptism and went before them in all things, including a violent death. Surely, they are with him now in paradise. We can only hope and pray that God will send their parents an angel from heaven (Lk 22:43) to strengthen them and to enlighten their terrible darkness with the bright light of faith in the Kingdom of Heaven.
On the plane ride home, I sent the pastor of Annunciation Parish, Fr. Dennis Zehren, a text message. He and I were in the seminary together, and I am sure that God has him at that parish for such a time as this. He is a man of great faith and even greater pastoral charity, and he will shepherd those school children and their families into the green pastures of renewed faith, hope and love. “The Annunciation” is one of the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. I would like to invite all of you to pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary for our brothers and sisters at Annunciation Church and School. As we do, let us ask that the words of Jesus be fulfilled in them in the days and weeks ahead: “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn…you will grieve, but your grief will become joy” (Jn 16:20).
Sincerely in Christ,
Bishop Joseph A. Williams
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