The Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis (United States), Bishop Bernard Hebda, delivered letters from the victims of the shooting at the Annunciation Catholic school to Pope Leo XIV during a recent visit to Rome.
The letters, written by students and their families, thank the Pope for his prayers after the tragic attack that left two dead and dozens injured on August 27, as reported by Hebda itself in a bulletin published on October 20.
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Hebda noted that the opportunity to personally deliver the letters to the Pope made his first meeting with the Pontiff, on October 2, “particularly significant.”
“Our prayers for the victims of the tragic shooting during a school Mass in the American state of Minnesota,” said Leo XIV on August 31 at the conclusion of the Angelus prayer from the window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
“The loss of life on that occasion was horrendous, and the impact on students, teachers and their families deeply traumatic,” Hebda added. “I have asked Pope Leo to continue to pray for Sophia Forchas and the other survivors who remain in recovery, and especially for those who may have difficulty returning to the Church of the Annunciation or even to the celebration of Mass.”
Sophia Forchas, 12, was shot in the head during the attack and remains in an intensive rehabilitation program after being moved from critical care in September, her parents reported on her GoFundMe page.
“Most of us would agree that the horror of the August 27 shooting was compounded by the fact that it occurred during Mass, the most sacred of celebrations for our Catholic community,” the archbishop continued.
“It is at Mass where we come together to participate in Jesus’ offering to the Father and where we have the opportunity to be nourished by the word of God and the Eucharist. Like all our churches, the Annunciation is a sacred place because it has been consecrated to divine worship. This is evident in the inscription on its façade: ‘This is the House of God and the Gate of Heaven.'”
Hebda’s meeting with Leo XIV took place during his visit to Rome for the diaconal ordination of two seminarians.
St. Paul Seminary posted a video of the archbishop alongside the Pope, commenting: “Our own pastor, Archbishop Hebda, had the great honor of meeting Pope Leo XIV during his recent visit to Rome!”
In the video you can see the archbishop holding a folder while speaking with the Holy Father in St. Peter’s Square.
The archdiocese did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Translated and adapted by ACI Prensa. Originally published in CNA.
Low tide Elhabbal
Madalaine Elhabbal is a CNA journalist based in EWTN’s Washington DC bureau. She has published articles on CatholicVote and has also worked as a foreign language assistant in France. She is a graduate of Benedictine College.