🔥🕊️ Tragedy at Annunciation

GOOD MORNING.

The shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis is a heartbreaking reminder of how vulnerable our sacred spaces have become. As a community gathered in worship, children and families were caught in the crossfire of hatred. My deepest prayers are with the victims, their loved ones, and all those carrying the weight of this tragedy.

This attack reflects a dangerous convergence of extremist ideologies, echoing past tragedies like the Covenant School shooting. Places of worship — and the children within them — are being deliberately targeted. We must grieve, we must pray, but we must also recognize the growing threat and work urgently to protect the most vulnerable among us.

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SPECIAL REPORT

The Attack and Its Victims

At approximately 8:30 a.m., a heavily armed assailant—carrying a rifle, shotgun, and pistol—fired multiple rounds through the church’s stained-glass windows as students and congregants were inside attending Mass.  Among the victims were two children, aged 8 and 10, who were tragically killed. Seventeen others were wounded, including 14 children and three elderly adults.  All survivors are expected to recover. 

Perpetrator and Ongoing Investigation

The shooter was identified as 23‑year‑old Robin Westman, a transgender individual whose mother previously worked at the school. Westman legally changed their name in 2019.  The weapons used were reportedly legally purchased, and investigators discovered a manifesto and disturbing videos online, containing antisemitic, anti‑Catholic, and extremist rhetoric.  Federal and local authorities are now investigating the incident as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics. 

Community, Leadership, and National Response

The shooting sent shockwaves through the tight-knit Minneapolis community and beyond. City and state leaders, including Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz, condemned the attack, called for solidarity, and ordered flags to be flown at half-staff.  A family resource center was established to aid affected families. 

Faith leaders, including Archbishop Bernard Hebda, called for prayers and concrete action to prevent future tragedies. A vigil held at the Academy of Holy Angels drew over 600 attendees, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar and other community figures.

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REGIONAL THREATS

AFRICA

• MKHUHLU, SOUTH AFRICA – Armed robbers stormed a church in Mkhuhlu, fired shots, and robbed congregants of cash, phones, and car keys; no injuries were reported. Authorities urged churches not to handle cash offerings.

• LILONGWE, MALAWI – A teenage boy was arrested after whipping a church member to death during a deliverance session in Lilongwe. Police confirmed the victim died from injuries at the scene.

• KOGI STATE, NIGERIA – Two pastors, Friday Adehi and Gabriel Ezekiel, were abducted at gunpoint while traveling in Kogi State; search operations by police and vigilantes are underway.

MIDDLE EAST & CENTRAL ASIA

• JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – An Israeli man was arrested for vandalizing a Jerusalem church with graffiti reading “Holocaust in Gaza,” viewed as a politically charged hate crime.

SOUTH & SOUTHEAST ASIA

• BACOLOD CITY, PHILIPPINES – On August 24, 2025, Efren Banaglorioso, driver for Bacolod Cosmopolitan Christian Church, was shot dead outside the church in Taculing; police suspect mistaken identity.

LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN

• TILAPÁN, VERACRUZ, MEXICO – A man set fire to a church in Tilapán on August 23, 2025, reportedly shouting “the devil ordered me to.” He was arrested at the scene.

• BOLÍVAR, COLOMBIA – During Mass in Bolívar, Cauca, a man attempted to attack another attendee with a firearm, creating panic inside the church. Police intervened to prevent violence.

NORTH AMERICA

• WINNIPEG, CANADA – Communion items, including a chalice and paten, were stolen from All Saints Anglican Church; police are investigating the theft.

• LOS ANGELES, USA – A fire damaged a century-old church in Echo Park on August 21, 2025, prompting an arson investigation by the Los Angeles Fire Department.

• EDGEWOOD, USA – Four people were charged for vandalizing an Edgewood church, causing property damage and disrupting religious services.

• SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, USA – Two men were arrested for arson and property damage after setting fire to an Illinois church; police confirmed significant damage but no casualties.

• FLINT, USA – A Flint church canceled services after receiving an online threat; authorities are investigating the source and credibility of the message.

• STEVENS POINT, USA – A Stevens Point man, reportedly “angry at God,” was arrested after breaking windows at Celebration Church; he faces property damage charges.

EUROPE

• ȚĂNDĂREI, ROMANIA – A fire broke out on August 22, 2025, at the Evangelical Church in Țăndărei (Ialomița county). Firefighters evacuated three adults and four children from an adjacent building; no casualties were reported.

• LIMOGES, FRANCE – On August 16, 2025, a 32-year-old Algerian man in irregular immigration status threatened a resident with a shovel, assaulted an evangelical pastor, vandalized two churches, and was arrested with 18 g of cocaine.

• TARRAGONA, SPAIN – A Moroccan migrant was arrested for attempting to set fire to a church in Tarragona; the attack caused damage but no injuries.

• ADMONT, AUSTRIA – A thief attacked a nun at Admont Abbey after being caught stealing. Police are investigating the incident, which left the nun shaken but not seriously injured.

• CANTLEY, DONCASTER, UK – Vandals damaged St Hugh’s Church in Cantley during a flag protest by attaching a flag to the roof, an act condemned by church leaders as reckless and costly.

• HERNE BAY, UK – A man was seriously assaulted near St Andrews Church in Herne Bay on August 25, 2025, and airlifted to a hospital; two suspects have been arrested.

AUSTRALIA & OCEANIA

• LEEDERVILLE, AUSTRALIA – On August 23, 2025, the Sonlife Church caught fire in Leederville; eleven firefighting crews contained the blaze by midday, and the cause is under investigation.

• MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – A man was arrested after allegedly trying to start a fire inside St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne; police are treating it as a security incident.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Please join in lifting up prayers for the families, children, and community of Annunciation Catholic Church and School as they mourn the lives lost and recover from the trauma of this devastating attack. May they find comfort, healing, and strength in the days ahead.

We also pray for those so lost, broken, and consumed by darkness that they are driven to commit such acts of evil. May God’s mercy break through hardened hearts, bringing light into places of despair and turning violence into peace.

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