At 7:00 p.m. this evening, May 25, the Cathedral Church of the Sacred Heart, 20 E. Beauregard in San Angelo, will host a candlelight vigil for the victims of the Uvalde shooting. All are invited.

In response to the news of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas reported May 24, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) offered the following statement from its spokesperson, Chieko Noguchi, director of public affairs.

“There have been too many school shootings, too much killing of the innocent. Our Catholic faith calls us to pray for those who have died and to bind the wounds of others, and we join our prayers along with the community in Uvalde and Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller. As we do so, each of us also needs to search our souls for ways that we can do more to understand this epidemic of evil and violence and implore our elected officials to help us take action.”

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops issued the following statement on the morning of May 25:

“The bishops of Texas mourn for the community of Uvalde and join Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller in asking God to have mercy on our children, families, and communities.

“We pray for those who lost loved ones, for the first responders, and for those in leadership. Archbishop García-Siller offered Mass within hours of the tragedy, a true shepherd for his people. ‘Let us help one another to spark light and warmth,’ Archbishop García-Siller said.

“Human beings are not created for death. The killing of defenseless children and their teachers is evil and an offense against God and human beings.

“Each one of us has a responsibility to address the root causes of this kind of evil. Our only path forward is through love, mercy, and deeper respect for God’s gift of human life.

“May the Prince of Peace guide us as we work together to end gun violence.”