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Pope Leo XIV offered condolences during his July 6 Angelus address to the families affected by the recent devastating floods in Texas, with a special mention of the young girls who were attending a Christian summer camp when disaster struck.
Speaking at the end of his address in Rome, Pope Leo said, “I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters, who were at the summer camp, in the disaster caused by flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States. We pray for them.”
Heavy rains in Texas have especially impacted Kerr County in the central region, with at least 79 confirmed deaths, including 28 children, The New York Times reported Sunday evening. The flooding was particularly severe around Camp Mystic, a girls’ Christian summer camp near the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas.
On Saturday, Governor Greg Abbott issued a proclamation declaring July 6 a “Day of Prayer” in Texas.
“I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines,” he said.
The fast-moving waters of the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in only 45 minutes before daybreak Friday. Camp Mystic was holding close to 750 girls gathered for their seasonal retreat. Ten campers and one counselor were still missing Sunday, according to AP News.
Also among the missing are three young Catholic graduates from Monsignor Kelly High School in nearby Beaumont, local ABC affiliate 12News reported Saturday.
