Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 6, 2025 Column Father De Celles
Shooting at Minneapolis Catholic School. We all mourn with the parents, families and friends of the children killed and wounded in the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School on August 27. We pray for them all: the dead, the injured and the bereaved. And we pray also for the soul of the deceased shooter, as Christ commands us to love our enemies, and pray for those who persecute us.
But in the wake of the shooting some folks on the Left made statements like “prayer not enough,” some seeming to imply that prayer is not very effective in these cases. As California Governor Newsom wrote: “These children were literally praying as they got shot at.”
Prayer is never ineffective. And to initially respond to an attack on praying children by seeming to criticize prayer seems amazingly cold-hearted, not to mention tone-deaf. Moreover it at least seems to reflect, even unwittingly, something of the shooters anti-Catholicism.
But there is some truth in saying that more must be done besides praying. But probably not what the left is thinking. We have lots of gun laws, especially in leftist-dominated Minnesota. What we don’t have, especially on the left, is an awareness of mental illness when it stares us in the face.
I’m sure at this point no one would dispute that the shooter was mentally ill. But everyone close to him seemed to ignore the obvious signs that something was wrong with him for a long time before the shooting.
Primarily, those close to him, including his mother, ignored or even supported his lack of rational, reality-based thinking when he claimed to have changed his gender. His mom signed off on his legal name change! Even the shooter seems to have discovered his error (“I am tired of being trans, I wish I never brain-washed myself”) but only after years immersed in unreality, an unreality encouraged by his mother and the dominant culture he lived in.
We can do something besides pray—and we must. We must help anyone who suffers from confusion about reality, especially those entrusted to our care. One absolutely necessary way to do this is to reject claims of transgender ideology, and to oppose those who try to “brainwash” our kids into this nonsensical irrational mode of thinking.
I’m not saying that transgenderism was the cause of this shooting. But in my opinion it was a clear symptom of this man’s radical mental instability. And that instability (or insanity, or whatever it should be called) led to the murder of the 8- and 10-year-old children, and wounding of 19 others.
And that could have been prevented, if someone had seen the warning signs in the shooter, instead of encouraging him in his delusions.
Pray, and do something to stop this insanity.
Election This Tuesday. As you know this Tuesday, September 9, is a special election to fill the Congressional seat vacated by the death of Gerry Connelly—the Representative of 11th District, which includes most of our parishioners.
Connelly was a Democrat and a strong proponent of some of the major evils plaguing our society today, including abortion and transgender ideology. He also opposed and fought against parental rights and school choice. The Democrat candidate in Tuesday’s election is James Walkinshaw, Connolly’s former chief of staff, who Connolly endorsed before his death. Walkinshaw promises to follow in Connelly’s footsteps, supporting abortion, transgender, etc.. Of course all these are things a Catholic cannot support.
The Republican candidate, Stewart Whitson, is a former FBI agent and Army combat veteran. He is solidly against abortion and transgender ideology and supports parent’s rights and school choice.
I encourage you all to get to know more about these candidates, and to vote like a Catholic on Tuesday.
Mary’s Birthday. Tomorrow, Monday, September 8, is the Feast of the Nativity of Mary, Mary’s birthday. So tomorrow, spend time with your Blessed Mom, Mary. Of course by praying to her and with her (a family Rosary would be a great idea!), but also by recognizing her presence with you, and thinking, “what should I being doing in this particular situation, knowing the Blessed Mother is here with me. How should I be acting?” And give her a birthday present: a prayer, a Rosary, an act of kindness to someone, going out of your way to avoid temptation and sin… Make this a beautiful day for our Blessed Mother.
Religious Education (CCD). CCD begins this evening, September 7. Parents, don’t forget to bring your kids this evening, or on Monday, whichever day you’ve signed up for. If you haven’t registered yet, it’s not too late, but time is running out. Please see the registration forms in the narthex, go to the parish website or call the RE office ASAP.
And Parents, remember CCD is meant to supplement the work you do with them at home. Parents are the primary educators of their children—especially in the Faith. CCD is just here to help you do that. But do not use CCD as an excuse to neglect your part. Instead take this as a time to renew your own personal commitment to teach your kids the Faith. Life is hard, but it’s a lot harder without Jesus and His Church. And in the end, the odds are they will not retain their faith when they grow up if you and we don’t do our very best to teach them the Faith when they are young.
OCIA (“RCIA”/“Convert Class”). Another program set to restart is the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA, formerly called “RCIA”). Classes begin this Monday (tomorrow), September 8, at 7pm in the Rectory classroom (the “Maurer Room”).
If any adult you know is interested in becoming a Catholic, or is a Catholic in need of the sacrament of Confirmation (or First Communion and Confession) this is the course for them. Fr. Bergida teaches most of the classes, taking participants through the basics (and more) of the Catholic faith. Contact the parish office with any questions.
But the class is also designed to be a refresher course for all adult Catholics. So please consider joining this class—even on a week-to-week/topic-to-topic basis.
Choir and Schola. Welcome back to our Choir at 11am Mass. You know summer’s over when you hear the beautiful strains of choral singing showering down on us from the choir loft. I hope the choir members had a restful summer and look forward to their assistance at Mass. Also, I know they are looking to increase their numbers. Anyone with any interest in joining them is welcome and encouraged to contact Elisabeth Turco at music@straymonds.org.
Also, welcome back to our Schola at 9am!
September 11, 2001. Lest we forget….Never forget. God bless America, and all her warriors and others who protect our freedoms. May the Lord bless and protect us, and save us from our foes.
Oremus pro invicem. Fr. De Celles