Special liturgy for flood victims in San Fernando Cathedral by Archdiocese of San Antonio / Facebook
The Archdiocese of San Antonio held a special Mass at a church in Kerrville, Texas, this weekend to pray for the victims, grieving families, missing people, and everyone suffering from the catastrophic flooding that devastated the area early July 4.
At least 89 people have died from the flash floods, according to a July 7 report from CBS News. At least 27 of the victims were attending an all-girls summer camp, Camp Mystic, at the banks of the Guadalupe River when the flooding hit, according to a July 7 report from USA Today.
It is unclear how many of the Camp Mystic deceased victims were children. One counselor and 10 campers are among those still missing; searches for survivors are ongoing, according to WSMV 4, an NBC affiliate.
More than 850 people have been rescued, Reuters reported.
Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller and Father Scott Janysek, whom Archbishop García-Siller appointed pastor of Notre Dame Church July 1, presided over a July 6 Mass at the church, which is listed as a shelter for those displaced by flooding, to pray for the victims and communities. Earlier that morning, the archbishop celebrated a Mass for the same intentions at San Fernando Cathedral. The Masses also included prayers for emergency responders and those providing relief for affected communities, especially for their safety, according to a July 5 statement from the archdiocese.
Archbishop García-Siller arrived in Kerrville from San Antonio July 4 to visit with families at a reunification center, according to FOX San Antonio.
He told the outlet, while tearing up, “I was there to hear the cry of those who hurt, and there are so many here who hurt.”
According to FOX, in 2022 Archbishop García-Siller drove back and forth from San Antonio to Uvalde daily for nearly three weeks to be with families in the wake of a school shooting where 19 students died. He told the outlet that he expects to be similarly present to those affected by the flooding in the coming weeks.
In light of being called to provide pastoral ministry amid such tragedies, the archbishop told FOX that while “we think we control everything,” in reality there is not an ability to totally guarantee security and life.
“I think we must learn to embrace that as we embrace our beloved ones and embrace those suffering and in pain,” he said.
The Archdiocese Department of Pastoral Ministries also gave all local parishes “Intercessions for the Prayers of the Faithful and a Special Prayer for Flood Victims” to pray at the weekend’s liturgies.
The archdiocese concluded its July 5 statement by invoking further spiritual support in the wake of the tragedy: “May Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Anthony of Padua intercede for all those affected.”