Catholics across the nation are mourning after an unthinkable tragedy struck Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Wednesday, August 27. During a school Mass marking the first week of classes, a gunman opened fire, killing two children and injuring 17 others, according to The Guaridan. Fourteen of those wounded are children, and two remain in critical condition, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.
Police say the shooter, a man in his early 20s with no known criminal history, attacked from outside the church, firing a rifle through the windows into the pews where children were gathered for worship. He was armed with multiple weapons, including a rifle, shotgun, and pistol. Authorities confirmed that after unleashing the violence, the gunman took his own life, according to Fox News.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz asked for prayers for the victims, calling the attack a horrific act of violence that shattered the start of the school year. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said her department is monitoring the situation and praying for those impacted. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey emphasized the gravity of the loss, saying: “Children are dead. There are families that have a deceased child. You cannot put into words the gravity, the tragedy, or the pain of this situation”.
Annunciation Catholic School, a parish community serving children from preschool through eighth grade, had only just reopened on Monday after summer break. What should have been a joyful return to faith and friendship instead turned into one of the darkest mornings in the school’s history.
For Catholics, such violence wounds not only families and a parish but also the wider Body of Christ. As St. Paul reminds us, “If one member suffers, all suffer together” (1 Corinthians 12:26). In this time of grief, the faithful are called to unite in prayer—for the children whose lives were cut short, for the families who now carry unbearable sorrow, for the injured and those fighting for their lives, and for the entire parish community struggling to find hope amid despair.
We also turn to Our Lady of the Annunciation, the patroness of the parish, asking her to console parents, guard the children, and bring peace to a city shaken by repeated acts of violence.
Prayer for the Victims of the Minneapolis School Shooting
“Merciful Father, we commend to You the souls of the two children killed at Annunciation Catholic School. Receive them into the arms of Your mercy. Bring healing to the 17 injured, especially the children who are in critical condition. Comfort grieving families, strengthen teachers and classmates, and pour Your peace upon this wounded community. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.”
