Tragedy at a Catholic school

I didn’t want to post this right away. I needed time to process a shooting at a local Catholic school.

In late August (Aug. 27) in the early morning while school children were at an opening Mass at Annunciation grade school, a person started shooting through the church windows. The bullets were meant to kill children.

Two beautiful souls died. They were 8 and 10. The gunman then turned the gun on his/herself.

I struggle with events like this. Obviously the shooter had a mental health crisis. A lot of us struggle with mental health from time to time. It can be relatively normal. It just boggles the mind why someone would want to hurt, maime and kill others, especially children, before taking their own life.

As a Catholic and someone who sent my daughter to Catholic schools from kindergarten through high school and supported her as she went to a Catholic university, too, I believe in the power of Catholic education. So many, like me, sacrificed to send children to Catholic schools. Beyond the tuition, it’s a commitment to faith in action and in daily life.

This is another reason why this school/church shooting really hit home.

Also, Rob works at a group of inner city Catholic sch00ls. He was deeply affected, too, based on his work. He had to communicate difficult messages to key groups that day. Additionally, his two boys went to a Catholic grade school and high sch00ls.

Because this took place at a school in Minnesota, we had more news on the event than other places in the country. We had constant coverage for days and weeks. Obviously that makes sense.

I hate to use that word, “sense,” because events like this make no sense at all.

We c0ntinue to pray for the Annunciation community, its students and families, and especially those who were affected by injury and death.