Statement re: School Shooting in Uvalde, Texas

This week the bishops and priests of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston are gathered in convocation. The news of yesterday's horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas was received with much heartache.

We are united in our compassion and prayers for the people of Uvalde, and we express our solidarity with the statement issued yesterday by the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops.

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops issued the following statement regarding the killings at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on May 24:

The bishops of Texas mourn for the community of Uvalde and join Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller in asking God to have mercy on our children, families, and communities.

We pray for those who lost loved ones, for the first responders, and for those in leadership. Archbishop García-Siller offered Mass within hours of the tragedy, a true shepherd for his people. “Let us help one another to spark light and warmth,” Archbishop García-Siller said.

Human beings are not created for death. The killing of defenseless children and their teachers is evil and an offense against God and human beings.

Each one of us has a responsibility to address the root causes of this kind of evil. Our only path forward is through love, mercy, and deeper respect for God’s gift of human life.

May the Prince of Peace guide us as we work together to end gun violence.