Shock, sorrow as campus reels from anti-Catholic terrorism
A transsexual shooter opened fire at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 27, killing two Catholic school children praying during Mass. The suspect, identified as Robert Westman, a 23-year old alumnus of Annunciation Catholic School, legally changed his name to “Robin” to align with his claimed gender identity.
Many members of the Notre Dame community who hail from Minnesota felt the tragedy of the shooting in a personal way, especially since the attack was explicitly anti-Catholic. Westman had written, “Take this all of you and eat of it,” quoting the Roman missal prayer said during the consecration, on the barrel of his rifle.
His manifesto, partially written in Russian, outlined his anti-Catholic beliefs and was critical of President Donald Trump. He praised the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, calling the tragedy his “favorite.”
A junior in McGlinn Hall expressed her disbelief at the events, telling the Rover, “I can’t understand why someone disaffected with the Church would target unarmed children. This doesn’t make any sense.”
A freshman studying chemical engineering from Duluth, Minnesota commented, “It’s shocking that Catholics are being targeted like in the Third World. … This is something I’d expect to see in Nigeria or Iraq.”
A senior in Keough Hall from Minnesota reflected, “I hate the fact that it was largely moms just trying to take their kids to church who had to go through that, and will have to think about it every time they go back.”
Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, on Facebook, asked Catholics, “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.”
Later, Bp. Barron responded when Democrat Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey spoke about the Catholic response to the shooting. At a press conference, Frey told his audience, “Don’t say this is about ‘thoughts and prayers’ right now—these kids were literally praying,” and called for increased gun control measures. Barron responded to Frey in a statement to Fox News, calling his comments “completely asinine,” adding, “Catholics don’t think that prayer magically protects them from all suffering. After all, Jesus prayed fervently from the cross on which he was dying.”
University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. issued a statement on August 27 giving condolences: “We grieve with the families who lost loved ones, pray for the injured, and stand in solidarity with the Annunciation School family.” He also offered prayers for teachers affiliated with Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) who are serving in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
In a similar vein, the Notre Dame Minnesota Club hosted a prayer service at the Grotto on August 29. Father Nate Wills, C.S.C., a Minnesota native and the priest in residence of Keough Hall, offered prayer for the students present.
A Farley Hall junior from Minnesota told the Rover, “Hearing about the shooting at Annunciation was just so tragic. I cantored there for three years, and it shocked me to think that I knew many of the people who had been in the church when the gunman opened fire. Please continue to pray for Catholic schools.”
Sophomore Matthew Mrosla, who knew the parish personally, told the Rover, “When I heard about the shooting, it was the first time I ever really felt sick to my stomach over something in the news.” He continued, “I’ve seen lots of terrible headlines, but nothing hit home like this. Seeing Fr. Zehren, my pastor just three months ago, broken and helpless on TV, brought only sadness. I didn’t feel rage or anger toward the attacker like I normally would in a situation like this, only a profound sorrow and compassion for my friends who were impacted by the shooting.”
Nathan Ogden, who identifies as a Democrat, said that the shooting warrants investment in mental health programs and further limits on gun purchases. He told the Rover, “We shouldn’t be cutting federal funding to mental health programs, and we should be taking further measures to ban assault-style weapons from our citizens’ hands and increase restrictions and background checks.”
In a publicly-released statement on September 11, the Notre Dame College Republicans responded to the shooting, as well as other recent acts of violence, by calling for a “prohibition on gun sales to transsexuals.” In a follow-up interview with the Rover, an NDCR spokesperson cited the near 50 percent suicide attempt rate among transsexuals and their disproportionate participation in recent acts of violence as evidence that “gender dysphoria is mental illness that makes affected individuals a threat to themselves and others.”
Sam Marchand is a junior studying political science and finance from Beaumont, Texas. He squanders much of his spare time by reading the Current Events section of Wikipedia preparing arguments for ND Speech & Debate, of which he serves as head yapper. He can be reached in Dublin for the fall at smarcha3@nd.edu.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
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