On Morning Air, John Morales welcomed Monsignor James Shea, president of the University of Mary, to respond to the tragic school shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis. With many of his students coming from the Twin Cities, Monsignor Shea said the grief felt especially close to home. He described the news as devastating and deeply disturbing, yet he emphasized that it was precisely in such moments of sorrow that the Catholic faith shows its witness.

Monsignor Shea pointed to the immediate pastoral response of Archbishop Bernard Hebda as a source of real consolation. He noted that the Archbishop spoke as a man of the Gospel, not as a public figure seeking solutions on a political level, but as a shepherd of souls who reminded the faithful that the ultimate answer to violence and evil rests in Jesus Christ.

Reflecting on the spiritual reality behind such tragedies, Monsignor Shea spoke about what St. Paul called the “mystery of iniquity.” He reminded listeners that the devil, the father of death, seeks to spread despair, but insisted that evil never has the last word. Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross secured the definitive victory, and every Christian is invited to live in that truth by putting on the armor of God.

Monsignor Shea stressed that Christian hope was not naïve optimism but a confidence rooted in the certainty that light cannot be overcome by darkness. He explained that the resurrection of Jesus demonstrates that death is not the end, and that God’s mercy has the power to heal even the deepest wounds caused by violence. In moments when human words seemed inadequate, the Gospel remained the sure promise that Christ’s love is stronger than sin and death.

He urged the faithful to pray for the victims and their families, and for all those burdened with fear and grief in the wake of the attack. Prayer, he said, is not a passive gesture but a real participation in God’s healing work. Monsignor Shea encouraged believers to cling to the grace of Christ, who alone can restore peace to the human heart and to the world.

Relevant Radio joined Monsignor Shea in this call to prayer, entrusting the victims and their families to the mercy of God and asking that Christ’s light shine even in this time of profound suffering.

Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pray for us!