As many in Kerrville, Texas, rushed to find news of missing loved ones or grappled with losing their homes following catastrophic flooding on Friday, San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller was among the faith leaders present to offer prayers and support. Source: OSV News.
Archbishop Garcia-Siller spoke about his efforts to respond to the devastation left by the historic flash flooding of the Guadalupe River that has left at least 70 dead, while 11 young girls are still missing from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp in Hunt, Texas.
The archbishop went to Kerrville and spoke with families affected by the flooding, including one mother whose nine-year-old daughter was still missing from Camp Mystic.
He visited a designated site serving the families searching for their loved ones, and he encountered many people there who were scared and who welcomed prayers as they sought answers.
The archbishop also visited Notre Dame Catholic Church in Kerrville, “one of four sites that the city has selected to be centres for refuge, for care, for help,” he said.
“Catholic Charities was present, bringing food, clothes, hygiene articles, water,” Archbishop García-Siller said, adding that they “were able to place cots there because families have been evacuated and some families also have lost their house or their trailer so they will need a place to stay.”
Driving to the area, the archbishop asked himself what God was “asking of me in this situation, so that I would be useful,” to those facing fear and loss, but he said his focus quickly changed when he arrived from wondering how he could best be helpful to simply being present to those who were suffering.
He said in these situations, it’s important to “let yourself be touched with the reality” of the moment and “just to be” with people and attentive to their needs as well as offering prayer.
“In my case, it’s calling upon the Holy Spirit to guide me to know how to be present, not just to them in general, but to this individual,” he said.
“A lot of young parents were there, very young and they were coming from different places too,” he said. “This is not an issue just for the San Antonio Archdiocese, which is part of it, but no, there were people from Houston, from Austin, from other states.”
In Rome, Pope Leo XIV offered special prayers for those touched by the disaster
“I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters who were in summer camp, in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States. We pray for them.”
FULL STORY
Archbishop of San Antonio recounts visit to Kerrville amid flooding tragedy (By Lauretta Brown, OSV News)
Death toll in Texas flash floods nears 70 as sheriff says 11 campers remain missing (NCR Online)
