Posted: Sept. 4, 2025
August 27th -- last Wednesday -- was the third day of the school year for the students of Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. Every K-8th-grade student gathered in the sanctuary for the first all-school mass of the year, where someone holding a firearm waited to attack them.
Within just a few minutes, Robin Westman fired 119 shots at the church using an AR-15 weapon, intending to cause as much damage and pain as possible. Before taking their own life, Westman murdered two beloved children and injured an additional 21 people. All of the survivors will carry the trauma caused by this violent act for the rest of their lives.
There is no excuse for this. The United States experiences the most mass shootings in the world by a wide margin. Since the assault weapons ban expired in 2004, mass shootings have increased by 347%.
As Christians, we know that thoughts and prayers were never enough. Our prayers must lead to taking action to build a more just, nonviolent world.
Add your name and tell the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to call for action to end gun violence.
Sign the petition:
Love thy neighbor.