Currents News Staff
Just three days after the shooting rampage that killed 19 elementary school students and two teachers, the small community of Uvalde is understandably still in shock.
National Correspondent John Lavenburg is in Texas and joined Currents News to discuss his exclusive interview with the suspect’s grandfather and how the Catholic community, including Catholic Charities, are coming together to support one another.
Currents News Staff
Gas Buddy says holiday weekend gas prices are the highest they have been since 2012 – but the pain doesn’t stop at the pump. New data says hotels have jumped 42% compared to last year and airfare is up 6%.
“This will likely be one of the most expensive Memorial Day travel periods we’ve ever seen,” said Andrew Gross, a Spokesperson with AAA, Inc.
Still, AAA thinks Americans will not be stopped and travel to top destinations like Orlando, Seattle, Miami and Las Vegas. Their latest projection is that 34.9 million people will drive 50 miles or more over the five days around Memorial Day.
The new fear is this expensive start to summer travel could last with an average gas price of $4.50 to last for months.
Currents News Staff
Jackie Cazares’s father had words for his daughter.
“She was full of love, full of life, and she would do anything for anybody,” said Cazares.
Jackie had just had her First Communion. She and her fellow schoolmates were taken too soon.
“Sweetest girl, you ever had the chance to meet,” said Cazares.
Like 9-year-old “Ellie” Garcia, who was just a week from her 10th birthday and 10-year-old Nevaeh Bravo. Her first name spelled backwards is heaven. They’re angels now to their families – 19 children – and two teachers.
This is the pain of their loss.
“How do you look at this girl and shoot her?” said Angel Garza, who raised Amerie Jo Garza. “Oh my baby, how do you shoot my baby?”
Angel wants others to know she tried to call 9-1-1 to save her classmates and teachers.
“She was the sweetest little girl who did nothing wrong,” Angel said. “She listened to her mom and dad, she always brushed her teeth, she was creative, she made things for us, she never got in trouble in school.”
Lexi Rubio loved sports and at just 10 years old, she dreamed of traveling the world.
“She wanted to go to Australia,” said Felix and Kimberly Rubio, the parents of Lexi Rubio. “She wanted to go to law school at St. Mary’s because that’s where I go.”
Jackie Cazares’ father Jacinto called her a “firecracker.” He posted his range of emotions on social media and left these words to her daughter: “Baby girl, we all love you with all our hearts.”
A community is mourning the loss of life including teacher Irma Garcia who was in her fifth year teaching alongside Eva Mireles.
Both died, their families say, shielding students from gunfire. Children are still being treated in the hospital. A Pediatric Trauma Director describes the children as critical but stable, wishing there were more she could save.
“I think that’s what’s hit us the most, not of the patients we did receive, and we are honored to treat them,” said Dr. Lillian Liao, University Health Pediatric Trauma Director. “But the patients that we did not receive. I think that is the most challenging aspect of our job right now.”
The Flores family was among those who rushed to hospitals in search of their children. That was where Jose Flores Sr.’s worst nightmare came true.
“I didn’t get to hold him no more,” said Jose Flores. “I didn’t get to see him no more.”
Currents News Staff
More heartache for this small Texas community: the husband of one of the teachers killed has died of a heart attack.
Joe Garcia passed away just two days after his wife Irma was gunned down while trying to protect her students.
Family members posted the news on social media, saying they believe Joe died of a broken heart after losing the love of his life. The Garcia’s leave behind four children.
A GoFundMe has been set up to raise money for the family. If you’d like to donate: go to GoFundMe.com and search “Joe and Irma Garcia.”
Currents News Staff
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is telling fellow lawmakers not to expect a vote on gun control anytime soon.
In the wake of the mass shooting in Buffalo and Texas, Schumer says he will not bring any gun control measures to the floor because he doesn’t believe there will be enough Republican votes to pass them.
Senator Chris Murphy from Connecticut says it’s important – just to get to the stage where you can vote on proposed measures.
“We’re putting people on the record,” said Sen. Murphy. “One way or another we’re going to have a debate here. We’re going to force people to tell America which side they are on.”
Lawmakers have tried and failed for the last decade to pass gun restrictions. Here are some past efforts.
Currents News Staff
All churches in the Diocese of Brooklyn tolled their bells 21 times for the victims of the Texas school shooting. The diocese joined other houses of worship in New York at noon on Thursday, May 26 to commemorate the lives of the 19 children and two teachers killed at the request of Mayor Eric Adams.
Currents News Staff
Preparing to visit the hospital where many of the victims of an elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas were brought on May 24, Archbishop of San Antonio Gustavo García-Siller’s voice shook with disbelief as he vowed that the archdiocese “is going to be there with [the victims’ families], for them,” and do “whatever it takes” to support them.
John Lavenburg, National Correspondent for The Tablet and Crux is in Uvalde, Texas. He spoke to the Archbishop of San Antonio, Gustavo García-Siller, and with the local Catholic community there. He joins Currents News to discuss how the community is coming together after tragedy.
All coverage on Lavenburg’s trip to Uvalde will be on Currents News and TheTablet.org
Currents News Staff
Two years after the world watched the video of Georgy Floyd taking his last breath, the healing continues.
“I think there is depression there is despair and people don’t know its depression they don’t even know its despair,” said Rev. Brian Herron from Zion Baptist Church. “I think one of these things is this overwhelming sense of hopelessness that is permeating our community right now that nothing is going to get better.”
Rev. Brian says those feelings boiled over leading to an uprising in the streets which is a collective cry for justice.
So his sanctuary became a place of healing from the storm created by the murder of George Floyd.
“It became clear to me that we could be out on the block and have an impact and make a difference and we can do the protest and things,” said Rev. Brian. “But where do people come to be well and to process their pain and to process their grief.”
Pastor Brian believes two years after George Floyd’s murder, some things have changed while others remain the same.
“I think we are still dealing with the trauma,” said Rev. Brian. “But let’s go to the other side also this has really created some activism and a expression of optimism from a lot of our young people that they can make a difference that they can change things.”
As the investigation continues into the Texas school shooting, the debate over gun laws has re-ignited.
U.S. bishops are calling for more gun control, with some calling mass shootings a “pressing life issue.”
Pope Francis will lead a rosary for peace on Tuesday May 31st.
Currents News Staff
Before Alberto Lopez Brasaola died, a friend promised to take his painting to the Pope. Ibon Perez has made Brasaola’s wish come true.
It was like asking for a miracle seeming impossible. But Ibon Pérez, a young Basque from Lekeitio, has fulfilled the promise he made to painter Alberto López Brasaola before his death last March.
Pérez, accompanied by Brasaola’s family, gave Pope Francis Barsaola’s painting at the end of the General Audience in St. Peter’s Square.
Brasaola passed away at the age of 84 after a life among paintbrushes. Sometimes he painted walls for work and sometimes he drew inspiration from a magazine about hearts to bolster his creativity.
To make Brasaola’s wish come true, Pérez also asked for help on social media.
A journalist by profession, he enlisted the help of his Vatican colleagues to get the long-awaited invitation from the Holy See. Once he received it, he and Brasaola’s family traveled to Rome together with the painting to greet Pope Francis.
“It’s a unique experience–an experience that cannot be described,” said Pérez. “My mother is blind and she told me yesterday, ‘I wish I could see the Pope’. Now, I have seen him. I saw him face to face for my mother. And that’s it. It’s a dream come true.”
In addition to the challenges of meeting with the Pope, both Pérez and Brasaola’s family paid for the trip and accommodations in Rome out of their own pockets, something that Perez feels has been worth it.
“Alberto wanted me to give this painting to the Pope,” Pérez said. “I believe that he would have been pleased with it ending up in the Basilica of Santa María de Lekeitio, but I know that it will be in the Casa de Santa Marta (where the Pope resides). I hope that when the Pope looks at this painting, it will tell him: Jorge María, take strength and go the distance. Because he told us to pray for him.
Apart from the painting, Perez also presented Pope Francis with tea and sweet biscuits that are common in Argentina.