This site uses cookies to store information on your computer. By using this site, you consent to the placement and use of these cookies. Read our Privacy Policy to learn more.
ACCEPT
A Queens parish employee personally invited by Blessed Carlo Acutis’ mother is heading to Rome to witness the tech savvy teen’s canonization — and he recently won international recognition for his Catholic music.
In Minneapolis, parishioners at Annunciation Catholic Church took a step toward healing with the community’s first Mass celebrated since the tragic shooting.
St. John’s University in Queens welcomed more than 2,600 students during move-in weekend.
On the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, a Queens monastery is remembering Passionist priest Father Fabian Flynn, who ministered in Germany during the Nuremberg Trials and helped refugees through Catholic Relief Services.
Eighty years after the end of World War II, a Queens monastery is honoring Father Fabian Flynn — a Passionist priest who served as a U.S. Army chaplain, comforted refugees, and worked to heal a divided post-war world.
State, local, and federal authorities and elected officials are joining community members as they mourn.
“Beyond heartbroken for the unimaginable that happened this morning at Annunciation,” said Council Member Emily Koski.
The candlelight vigil — after a shooter opened fire during morning Mass at a Catholic school in Minneapolis.
“Our daughter was crying there, we were all parents crying, you see kids wearing shirts with blood of all the kids,” said Vincent Francoual, a father whose daughter was in school’s Mass during the shooting.
City leaders all pledged support for the community.
“We hold these families in our hearts. We all do,” said Council Member Linea Palmisano.
“The strength, the love, the hope that I see here tonight being with all of you — take that, hold it,” said Council Member Emily Koski.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey hailed the bravery of school staff who he said “threw their bodies on top of children” to protect them.
“I’m so grateful for the teachers and the faculty that truly acted in heroic fashion to save lives — our police officers that ran towards that danger,” he said.
While the shock, grief, and heartache were met with love and compassion, there was also anger and calls for action.
“Don’t let anybody tell you that it’s not about guns, because it is,” Frey said. “We are a city united in grief. Let us take the next step to be a city united in action.”
“My thoughts and my prayers, yes, I’m thinking, I’m praying…about what we are going to do,” said Keith Ellison, Minnesota Attorney General.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (OSV News) — A deadly mass shooting took place the morning of Aug. 27 at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis shortly after the start of the school day during an all-school Mass at the adjacent Annunciation Catholic Church.
The gunman shot from the outside of the church through windows at the Mass attendees with a rifle, shotgun and pistol, killing two children, ages 8 and 10. According to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, 17 others are injured, including 14 children. Three adults who were shot were parishioners in their 80s.
While there were “a range of injuries” among the injured children, they are all expected to survive, O’Hara said during an afternoon press briefing.
The suspected gunman is also dead and believed to have taken his own life in the parking lot.
Local media is reporting the suspected shooter was 23-year-old Robin Westman, who formerly went by Robert, and that his mother had been an employee of Annunciation.
Court documents filed in Dakota County, accessed by OSV News on Aug. 27, indicate that Westman identified as female and petitioned to formally undergo a name change to reflect that identity. The request was granted on Jan. 15, 2020.
O’Hara confirmed that Westman appeared to have barricaded at least two of the church’s exterior doors with two-by-four wooden boards to trap Mass attendees inside.
Aug. 27 was the third day of the school year for the Catholic elementary school, which serves students in preschool to grade eight. Students were attending an all-school Mass that began at 8:15 a.m. Authorities were alerted at 8:27 a.m.
The mass shooting at Annunciation appears to be the first of its kind involving a Catholic school since the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in Littleton, Colorado.
Families and loved reunite following a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis Aug. 27, 2025. The Richfield Police Department is reporting there are up to 20 victims and the shooter is dead. (Photo: OSV News/Ben Brewer, Reuters)
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey joined O’Hara in speaking to media on the scene. Dr. Thomas Wyatt, chair of emergency medicine at Hennepin County Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma center in downtown Minneapolis, also provided reporters an update on victims’ status. He said 11 patients were taken to HCMC, among them two adults and nine children ages 6-14.
“Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying,” Frey said.
Father Erich Rutten, pastor of nearby St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, arrived on scene this morning to pray with and comfort distraught and grieving parents at the school. The priest told NBC News that parents were in “great, great anxiety and grief,” with some “wailing and crying, some stooping to the ground.”
He told the news outlet that he hugged those he recognized; several of them joined in as he prayed the rosary.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda of Saint Paul and Minneapolis said in a statement that he is grateful for all the prayers that have come in for Annunciation Parish and School, and for all those who were impacted by the “senseless violence.”
“I beg for the continued prayers of all of the priests and faithful of this Archdiocese, as well for the prayers of all men and women of good will, that the healing that only God can bring will be poured out on all those who were present at this morning’s Mass and particularly for the affected families who are only now beginning to comprehend the trauma they sustained,” Archbishop Hebda said. “We lift up the souls of those who lost their lives to our loving God through the intercession of Our Lady, Queen of Peace.”
“My heart is broken as I think about students, teachers, clergy and parishioners and the horror they witnessed in a Church, a place where we should feel safe,” he added.
Staff from The Catholic Spirit, the archdiocese’s newspaper, were on the scene. On its website, the archdiocese posted, “Please pray for all those affected by the shooting today at Annunciation in Minneapolis. Updates to come from The Catholic Spirit.”
Bishop Kevin T. Kenney, auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis who grew up attending Annunciation Parish, told a local news station that “it’s just unbelievable that this could happen, still today.” It’s “very sad for the community, for the families, and very sad for the families who have lost loved ones,” said Bishop Kenney, speaking at HCMC.
“It’s a horrible, horrific way for all the students to begin the school year. Safety procedures were put in place, people come excited to go back to school, very excited about an academic year, feeling safe in south Minneapolis, and now look what happened,” he said.
“When I heard about the shooting this morning, I’m right down the street … I decided I better come over and just support the families and be here with them,” he said. “I have talked to a few (families) whose children are in surgery or being cared for. Just panicking, of course they’re in shock and worried, asking ‘why,’ so I’m just here to comfort … and to just walk with them in these hours ahead.”
Annunciation’s former interim pastor Father Robert Hart, 77, told NBC News that the shooting was “unbelievable.”
“It’s hard to believe that this could happen at a Catholic Mass,” he said. The priest described Annunciation as a “very close-knit and very supportive” community.
Archbishop Hebda also highlighted a shooting that took place yesterday near Christo Rey Jesuit High School in the archdiocese. With both tragedies in mind, he called for an end to gun violence.
“We need an end to gun violence. Our community is rightfully outraged at such horrific acts of violence perpetrated against the vulnerable and innocent. They are far too commonplace,” Archbishop Hebda said. “While we need to commit to working to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies, we also need to remind ourselves that we have a God of peace and of love, and that it is his love that we will need most as we strive to embrace those who are hurting so deeply.”
Bishop Robert Brennan of Brooklyn said it is incomprehensible to think that children lost their lives on their first week of school, and called the mass shooting “pure evil.”
“We pray for all the victims of this senseless tragedy and for the entire Minneapolis Catholic community who are suffering at this time,” Bishop Brennan said in a statement.
As the Diocese of Brooklyn gears up for the start of school next week, Bishop Brennan said the diocese is remaining vigilant. He noted that the diocese’s schools and parishes each have individual safety plans in place, as well as the help of the New York City Police Department.
“With just a few days left of summer vacation, we need to keep encouraging and supporting our children and showing them how much we love them,” Bishop Brennan added.
Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, vice president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement that “as a Church, we are following the tragic news from Annunciation School in Minneapolis with heartbreaking sadness.”
“Whenever one part of the Body of Christ is wounded, we feel the pain as if it were our very own children,” Archbishop Lori said. “Let us all beg the Lord for protection and healing of the entire Annunciation family.”
President Donald Trump said on the X social media platform that he has “been fully briefed” on the shooting.
“The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene,” he said. “The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!”
‘The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!’ – President Donald J. Trumppic.twitter.com/hKudOz3AfA
Also on X, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said that he has been “briefed on a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School and will continue to provide updates as we get more information. The BCA and State Patrol are on scene. I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence.”
Kristi Noem, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said on X that “DHS is monitoring the horrific shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. We are in communication with our interagency partners, and will share more information as soon as it becomes available. I am praying for the victims of this heinous attack and their families.”
Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, asked for prayers on X.
“Friends, this morning there was a shooting at Annunciation Catholic Parish in Minneapolis. Please join me in praying for all those who were injured or lost their lives — along with their families,” he wrote. “Let us also pray for the students, faculty, and entire parish community,” he wrote.”
Friends, this morning there was a shooting at Annunciation Catholic Parish in Minneapolis. Please join me in praying for all those who were injured or lost their lives—along with their families. Let us also pray for the students, faculty, and entire parish community.
Bishop Patrick M. Neary of St. Cloud, Minnesota, also expressed his grief over the shooting.
“Today, our hearts are shattered by the horrific act of violence that occurred at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis. Children were gathered for Mass. Teachers were beginning a new school year. Families were entrusting their loved ones to the care of the Church,” he said in a statement.
“I grieve deeply with the families, students, staff and parishioners of Annunciation. I grieve with our neighbors in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. And I grieve with every person who now carries the trauma of this senseless violence.
“As Catholics, we believe in the dignity of every human life. That dignity is destroyed when violence becomes routine,” he continued. “May Christ, the Prince of Peace, bring healing to all who are wounded, and may Our Lady of Sorrows intercede for us in this time of grief.”
First responders block off the crime scene following a mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis Aug. 27, 2025. The Richfield Police Department is reporting there are up to 20 victims; two children and the suspected gunman are dead. (Photo: OSV News/Dave Hrbacek, The Catholic Spirit)
During a Mass celebrating the beginning of the school year a gunman shot through a Minneapolis, Minnesota Catholic Church’s windows, killing two young children and injuring others.
Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan, U.S. bishops, and Pope Leo XIV are praying for those affected by the deadly shooting, expressing their spiritual closeness to the families who have lost a child.
In the Diocese of Brooklyn, faithful are coming together to support a student whose parent was killed in a shooting – his father was one of the victims of the midtown, Manhattan shooting in late July.
FLATLANDS — Growing up in Haiti, Rachelle Paoli and Aland Etienne were classmates and childhood sweethearts in Catholic schools. They went their separate ways after high school, but reunited 20 years later in the United States and settled in Canarsie. Their son, Ralandy, who turned 7 in early August, has attended Midwood Catholic Academy since pre-K, across the street from St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Flatlands.
But the family’s world shattered on July 28 when Etienne, a security guard, was one of four people killed in a mass shooting at 345 Park Ave. in Midtown. Paoli, while grieving her first love, worried that losing his income would put Catholic education out of reach for their son. That is, until concerned people and groups gathered to figure out how to cover Ralandy’s tuition this year. Now, despite the tragedy, he is excited to enter the second grade on Sept. 3.
“I like my school,” Ralandy said shyly on Aug. 20. “My teacher was reading a Bible for everyone and me. I think Jesus is cool.” The concerned community includes Principal Nicole Freiwald, Futures in Education, the group Tiro A Segno of New York, and Father Dwayne Davis, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas, to name a few. Paoli said she was confused when two police officers came to her door on July 28 at about the same time Etienne usually got home from work.
“They said the gunman came to his work and opened fire, and Aland was one of the victims,” Paoli said. “My whole world was upside down. Aland was my first love from back home. “It’s not the news anybody wants to hear – that you expect somebody to come back and then they’re telling you that he passed.”
Rachelle Paoli and her son, Ralandy, share a photo of his father, Aland Etienne (also in the inset), a security guard who died July 28 during a mass shooting in a Midtown Manhattan office building. Futures in Education is working with Ralandy’s school, Midwood Catholic Academy, and private donors to ensure he can enter the second grade there in the fall. (Photo: Bill Miller)
Survivors of the attack said Etienne, 46, was a hero because he tried to lock down the elevators. Still, he was fatally shot by a suspect, who reportedly came to attack one of the building’s tenants, the National Football League.
The July 28 mass shooting made international headlines, but Father Davis didn’t know about the local connection until a few days later.
Principal Freiwald, he noted, worked diligently to confirm the information. Once that was settled, Father Davis asked how the parish could help.
Families at St. Thomas Aquinas send children to Midwood, which also serves children from other parishes and beyond.
“The mother wasn’t sure how she was going to pay for her son’s Catholic schooling this year,” Father Davis said, adding that “right away” the school, Futures in Education, and the parish began the first conversations to find ways to help the family.
Freiwald said annual tuition costs about $5,100. But John Notaro, executive director of Futures in Education, said that Tiro A Segno offered to pay the whole bill. The Manhattan-based club is a private Italian heritage organization that formed in the 1880s.
Over the years it developed a charitable foundation. Futures in Education, which provides scholarships for students to attend Catholic schools, has previously received financial contributions from the group, Notaro said. “Our goal was to give this family some relief in this dire moment,” Notaro said. But, he added, Futures sticks with a family as best it can. “We stay in touch with all of the families that we support,” Notaro said, “and we keep them connected to their donors. If the need persists as time goes on, we look to continue helping them.”
(Photos: Courtesy of Rachelle Paoli)
Joe Mure, a member of Tiro A Segno, said Notaro reached out to the club seeking help for Ralandy, and the club was ready to go.
Mure, a criminal defense lawyer from Queens, explained that Tiro A Segno’s foundation helps children, “one child at a time.” “And now it’s a little 7-year-old boy,” Mure said. “We don’t want him to get pulled out of Catholic school. It’s important for us to step forward and help him.” Freiwald said Ralandy’s story is an example of how Futures in Education helps many families at Midwood.
“I’ve seen Ralandy grow so much,” Freiwald said. “I’ve known him since he was 3. When he first started, he was very timid and quiet. Now, when I walk into the classroom, he’s almost the first one who greets me. “Ralandy has a lot of friends here. And, obviously, with everything that is going on around him, this is going to be the one place where he can still feel at home.”
Ralandy’s mother is now a Baptist, but Father Davis said that doesn’t matter.
“We’re 100% Catholic education, but you don’t have to be Catholic to be part of our school,” Father Davis said. “A lot of people love to send their children to Catholic education because of what it does, especially in the black and brown communities.” Paoli said her own Catholic education showed her its value, teaching about Jesus, but also how to embrace self-discipline, learn to respect others, and love all people. That legacy, she said, continues at Midwood.
Ensuring that kind of education is among the most important things a parent can do, she said. “My mom did it for me,” she said. “But I want to do the same thing for Ralandy, which is what Aland would dream of.”
“I would like to say, ‘thank you’ to them for their generosity,” she said, adding she was grateful that “they granted that to my son.”
Ralandy Etienne gets a preview of his second-grade classroom at Midwood Catholic Academy with his mother, Rachelle Paoli, and the school’s principal, Nicole Freiwald. (Photo: Bill Miller)
Ralandy said he didn’t understand the details of people working to ensure his return to Midwood this year. Nor does he know why his father died, only that he is gone. Paoli recalled how she told Ralandy about his father’s death, and they cried together for about 15 minutes.
But while he didn’t understand the violence that claimed his dad, he did know the way forward.
Paoli recalled Ralandy saying, “Mommy, do you know what? We got to stick together and be strong – like this.” She said Ralandy then flexed the bicep of his little arm and declared, “We have to be strong for daddy.”
“I said, ‘Yes, Love, we have to stick together,’ ” Paoli recalled.
If you would like to help, a GoFundMe has been set up as well.
Aland Etienne, a security guard, was one of four people killed in a mass shooting at 345 Park Ave. in Manhattan.
While grieving her first love, his wife Rachelle worried that losing his income would put Catholic education out of reach for their son Ralandy. That is, until concerned people and groups gathered to figure out how to cover his tuition.
Diocese of Brooklyn principals and staff joined Bishop Robert Brennan for Mass, praying for students, teachers, and a fruitful year ahead for Catholic schools.
Caritas Internationalis, a Catholic humanitarian aid organization, is warning that the ongoing famine in Gaza violates an international treaty that criminalizes genocide.
On Aug. 26, 1978 the shortest pontificate in modern history began – in just 33 days Pope John Paul I had a major impact on the faithful.
A moment of prayer for these Diocese of Brooklyn principals, as they prepare for a new school year.
“This, I think, is the most wonderful time of the year. I play Christmas tunes this week because it’s the new beginning,” said Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Brooklyn, Deacon Kevin McCormack.
Bishop Robert Brennan celebrated the mass at St Thomas Aquinas church in Flatlands, reminding the principals of their commitment to forming students body, mind, and soul.
“That’s exactly what our school leaders are about. The privilege of handing on the gospel now to another generation,” said Bishop Brennan.
As Catholic schools struggle with enrollment, Bishop Brennan is hoping relief will ease the burden. It offers a tax benefit to those who want to support Catholic education.
“The next step is that each state has to opt in, and so we’re counting here in New York state on opting in. We really do have to press on our legislators, particularly the governor, because it’s on her desk, to, to opt in. This is something that doesn’t cost the state any money,” said Bishop Brennan.
While some principals are returning to the same school.
“This is year seven for me, but every year feels like a brand new year,” said Mark Wilson, the principal at Saint Mark Catholic Academy, “It’s good to be back together with our principals, see some returning faces, see some new faces and really start things off with the bishop showing that he supports us and he’s here for us.”
Others are just beginning their journey as principals, like Tara DiRico.
“The bishop is so warm and so caring. You could tell he really cares about the school. so it’s nice to feel like we’re ready to start school,” said DiRico, principal at St Helen Catholic Academy.
And new principal Gina Auricchio already has plans for the new year.
“I’m actually hoping to improve student achievement. I’m hoping to enhance the school culture. I want to see new programs implemented. We have a lot of new technology in the classrooms this year. So, that’s just to change things around and improve the culture of the school,” said Auricchio, principal at St Athanasius Catholic Academy.
That’s why they are all looking forward to a new year full of possibilities.
“We begin with all a chance to start again. any mistake we made last year we can fix, we can have new approaches to everything. and this is just a natural renewal that happens,” said Deacon McCormack.
Sept. 4, 2022 — it was the day John Paul I was beatified. The Roman sky roared that morning at the beginning of the celebration.
But despite this, the faithful did not disperse. They waited to proclaim a new Blessed for the Church.
He was the 263rd pope, the last of Italian nationality to date.
His pontificate lasted only 33 days, the fourth shortest in history. However, it was long enough to earn him the nickname “The Smiling Pope.”
He presided over only four general audiences. His memory is celebrated every Aug. 26, the same day he became the successor of Peter.
He chose his name in honor of his predecessors: John XXIII and Paul VI. Regarding his successors, both Pope Saint John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI praised him. Pope Francis, during his beatification, was also not far behind.
“Brothers and sisters, this is how the new Blessed lived: in the joy of the Gospel, without compromise, loving to the end,” Pope Francis said. “He embodied the poverty of the disciple, which is not only detachment from material goods, but above all overcoming the temptation to put oneself first and seek one’s own glory.”
The end of the beatification ceremony made this clear. After the storm, the umbrellas disappeared and the sun flooded St. Peter’s Square. The atmosphere felt like a new blessed pope was “born” in the Catholic Church.
