Elizabeth Cornell

BSM students put up green and blue hearts around the halls as a visible symbol of solidarity.

On August 27, a shooter opened fire at Annunciation Catholic School, killing two children and injuring several others. The hearts and lives of the BSM community were greatly saddened, as many share personal connections, fears, and relationships to the school.

To honor the victims and pray for peace, every BSM student, faculty, and staff member gathered in the Great Hall for a prayer service, led by campus minister Mike Jeremiah and BSM chaplain Fr. Michael Maloney. “We really wanted to stand with the school, especially to support the students here who knew people over there or had siblings over there,” Fr. Michael said.

At the prayer service, President Danielle Hermanny reminded students that God always has a plan, and faith can draw many together in difficult times. She encouraged students to keep hope and continue to pray for the Annunciation community. The service closed with a quiet hymn as an additional prayer for them.

BSM also celebrated its opening school mass a week later, where Minneapolis and St. Paul Archbishop Hebda said mass. Hebda showed students that even in dark times, they can continue to welcome the new school year with optimism. “It’s important we continue to pray for the Annunciation community and that students look for ways of shining Christ’s light to others around them,” Hebda said.

Hebda also invited Catholic schools nationwide to participate in a simultaneous rosary at 10:00 A.M. on Friday, September 5th. The rosary was offered up especially for the students who were killed in the shooting, Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski, and the students who were still in the hospital at the time, Lydia Kaiser and Sophia Forchas.

The victims’ families requested the rosary as a sign of hope and solidarity among Catholic schools. “A lot of people are asking how they can help…we thought that a rosary would be something that could unite Catholic school students, not just in our archdiocese, but I think all over our country,” Hebda said.

School shootings have become increasingly common in the United States today. However, the close proximity of the school has brought it closer to home for many BSM students. “I work at the Catholic elementary school I went to, and the day it happened, I went and spent three hours with a bunch of little kids that were the same age in the same uniforms, and I just thought this could have been any of my kids,” junior Tessa Erickson said.

Tragedies like this often make students feel helpless. However, many high school students are trying to do whatever they can to help, from posting awareness on Instagram stories to simply providing comfort to Annunciation students. “High school students have a lot of passion, and there’s that sense of closeness to Annunciation. I’ve already seen some high school students stepping forward to help,” Hebda said.

For many students, this tragic event was a wake-up call to never lose sight of the fact that shootings could happen at any school. “I think just being aware and always having one eye out, especially if you work with kids, is really important now more than ever,” Erickson said.

Fr. Michael offers a perspective on the shooting for Catholics. “As Catholics, we have hope that this isn’t the only life that we have. If we follow the Lord, we have a chance to go to heaven. And so even in the midst of this tragedy, we can still have that peace and that joy that the Lord gives,” Fr. Michael said.

Additionally, as a visible symbol of the solidarity between BSM and Annunciation, students and faculty put up green and blue (Annunciation’s school colors) hearts on windows around the school. The hearts remind students to never forget Annunciation and to keep praying for them.

In the midst of this tragedy, the Catholic community has come together in hope, peace, and love. Catholic churches and schools across the Twin Cities have grieved with Annunciation. Many BSM students grew up attending Catholic schools and remarked that it could have happened to any of them. “It was hard because I kind of realized that it could have been me or any of my friends at any point,” Erickson said.

Catholics around the Twin Cities have also been regularly visiting the memorial outside of Annunciation. The memorial is filled with flowers, stuffed animals, and emphasizes the joy of Catholic education. “Around the diocese, there has been a lot of unity and support. I know there’s been a lot of people who have been going over to Annunciation and dropping off flowers,” Fr. Michael said.

A month later, all students are now out of the hospital, but some are still recovering. Annunciation has also reopened, with the hope that being together as normal kids is the best course of action for further recovery.