As the sun rises over the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas, the sound of volunteers gathering in prayer echoes through the Walmart parking lot in Kerrville. Led by attorney Thad Heartfield, whose son Aidan remains among the missing, these searchers begin each day by seeking God’s guidance before entering the flooded devastation left behind by the July 4th disaster.
This flash flood, which struck suddenly in the early morning hours, claimed the lives of at least 119 people statewide, including at least 36 children—many of them attending Camp Mystic, a beloved 100-year-old Christian girls’ camp in Hunt, Texas.
“We’re still missing my son, Aidan Heartfield, and Ella Cahill,” said Heartfield, who began organizing search teams the morning after the flood swept away his family’s riverfront cabin. “We have not had a survivor find. But we are recovering bodies for their loved ones” (Greg Allen, NPR).
Among the dead are 27 girls and staff members from Camp Mystic, according to multiple reports. One of them was Anna Margaret Bellows, 8, a parishioner at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Houston.
In an email to parishioners, Father Sean Horrigan requested prayers for the Bellows family, saying funeral details would be announced soon.
The floodwaters rose a staggering 35 feet along the Guadalupe River, leaving a path of heartbreak, grief, and unanswered questions. “The water just overwhelmed them,” Heartfield recalled of his final call with his son at 4 a.m.
A Tide of Grief Met With Faith
Amid the tragedy, Catholic and Christian communities across Texas have turned to the Lord in mourning and intercession.
“They rescued people out of vehicles. They rescued people out of homes that were already flooded, pulling them out of windows,” said Officer Jonathan Lamb at a Kerrville press conference. Despite the valiant efforts, many victims—including five campers and a 19-year-old counselor—have not yet been recovered as of July 9 (New York Times).
Churches across Houston, where many Camp Mystic families reside, held memorial Masses and prayer services. At St. John Vianney Church, mourners gathered to honor the life of Molly DeWitt, another young girl taken by the flood.
And at the Church of St. John the Divine, a deeply emotional memorial service on July 7 brought together grieving families, alumnae, and clergy. The church, where Anne Eastland Spears, the late camp board chairman, is buried, shares close ties with Camp Mystic.
“He may seem absent now, but he hears everything and he is present,” preached Rev. Leigh Spruill, encouraging the congregation to “have hope. Keep talking to God” (Amira Abuzeid, CNA).
“When we die, Jesus is there to touch us and say ‘arise,’ and there is new life beyond our imagining,” added Rev. Sutton Lowe, citing the Gospel account of Jairus and his daughter.
“There is a path forward that is lined with the life and death and resurrection of Jesus,” said Rev. Libby Garfield, reminding mourners that Christ walks with us through suffering.
After the service, alumnae formed a large circle on the church lawn, singing hymns and camp songs in memory of their sisters. Ashley Emshoff, a Camp Mystic alumna, described the bonds between campers as “as strong as family.”
“He taught us to be selfless and love as Christ loves,” said Alafair Hotze, another alumna, speaking of Dick Eastland, the camp’s director who died while rescuing the girls. “He died as he had lived: giving his life for those he loved” (CNA).
Searching Through the Ruins
Heartfield and his team continue to comb seven miles of riverbank, while official search and rescue operations span 26 miles, including efforts by Texas Game Wardens and other emergency responders. Many victims remain unidentified, with DNA analysis now required to confirm their identities.
Even as Governor Greg Abbott ordered Texas flags lowered to half-staff through July 14, tensions mounted over the state’s lack of preparedness. When asked about possible failures in warning systems, Abbott responded dismissively, saying such criticism amounted to the “words of losers,” and likened the aftermath to football: “Only losing teams focused on their failures” (New York Times).
Officials in Kerr County admitted that questions about sirens, disaster planning, and warning dissemination would need to wait for an investigation. But Sheriff Larry Leitha assured the public: “We’re going to get that answer. We’re not running. We’re not going to hide.”
A Call to Prayer
As we witness the sorrow of so many Catholic and Christian families in Texas, we remember the words of Christ: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). The suffering of these families—especially the parents who sent their daughters to a camp rooted in faith and friendship—calls for our deepest compassion, our ongoing prayers, and our unwavering hope in eternal life.
Let us pray together:
Lord Jesus, who calmed the storm and wept with Mary and Martha at the tomb of Lazarus, have mercy on the souls lost in the Texas floods. Be close to the grieving parents, siblings, and friends. Strengthen the rescuers, comfort the heartbroken, and bring peace where there is only pain. Through the intercession of Our Lady of Sorrows, may all those who suffer find healing in You. Amen.
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