St. Joseph of the Lakes

The tragic shooting at Annunciation Church and School in South Minneapolis has left us all deeply saddened with heavy hearts. I thank you all for the prayers that you continue to offer for the victims. We pray particularly for the two children Harper and Fletcher who died and their grieving families. We grieve as we relate to the sorrow of their parents, while also trying to imagine just how hard it must be for them. 

We pray for those still in the hospital or recovering at home and for so many who now must carry the burden of emotional scars for years to come. It will take time for healing and recovery. It will come slowly, one day at a time.

I offer my personal gratitude for the love and support that so many of you have expressed knowing that I served as pastor at Annunciation before coming to St. Joe’s last year. I greatly appreciate your loving concern.

Please pray for Fr. Dennis Zehren, who began serving as Annunciation’s pastor just two months ago and this was his very first school Mass with the children. He now leads his parish through this great tragedy. Please pray for the Annunciation staff, parish leaders, and parishioners. They all face great challenges while enduring great sorrow and loss. Ultimately, this is too much for any one person, or even the entire community to bear. It is God’s grace that will provide. Christ gives each person the strength to do their part. Christ inspires the love we share with one another. It is Christ who offers hope in the darkness.

John’s Gospel proclaims, “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). Evil never wins. Christ is the Victor. We pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ at Annunciation, may they know the light of Christ in the midst of this darkness, and may our prayers and efforts of generosity for them help bring Christ’s light to them.

Annunciation Hope and Healing Fund                                                                  

Annunciation parish and school has a long road ahead. One great gift of our Catholic Faith is that we can find great strength in the larger Church. Immediately after this tragedy, the Catholic Community Foundation of the Archdiocese created a fund to assist Annunciation Church and School, victims’ needs, and other needs that may arise in the broader Catholic community as a result of this tragedy.

Last weekend over $6,000 was offered for this fund at our collection at Mass. I thank all who generously contributed. Please use this website link: https://www.archspm.org/annunciation/ to contribute and learn more about the Annunciation Hope and Healing Fund. God bless you for your generosity to our brothers and sisters in need.

With heavy, yet hopeful heart,

Fr. Bill Deziel