US Church shares in grief for Texas flood victims

‘We pledge to be with the people in these challenging circumstances. Let us answer Christ’s call to love one another,’ said a statement from the Archdiocese of San Antonio. 

Pope Leo prayed for the victims of the devastating flash floods in central Texas over the weekend in which more than 100 people died.

Speaking at the Sunday Angelus, the Pope offered his condolences “to all the families who have lost loved ones – in particular their daughters who were at summer camp – in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States. We pray for them.”

On the morning of 4 July, river levels rose above eight metres in less than an hour. One of the areas worst affected was Kerr County, where Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for girls, is situated.

Richard Eastland, the camp’s 74-year-old owner and the third generation in his family to run it, was killed while trying to lead campers to safety. At least 27 campers and counsellors were confirmed dead, while five campers and one counsellor were still missing on Tuesday morning. The total number of confirmed dead from the floods was 105.

The Archdiocese of San Antonio released a statement offering prayers and said: “We pledge to be with the people in these challenging circumstances. Let us answer Christ’s call to love one another.” 

Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio said a memorial Mass for the victims and their families at Notre Dame Church in Kerrville, Texas on 6 July, where a Catholic Charities Mobile Unit had been set up.

The Church is “listening to the cry of all those who suffer, and their cry is not falling on deaf ears”, he told CNA, adding that “pain, and sorrow and death do not have the last word” because “goodness, truth, love, and care, and hope never dies”.

Local communities rallied to aid survivors and support rescue operations, with churches across the surrounding area raising funds to provide relief.

Among those killed in the flooding were sisters Blair and Brooke Harber, aged 13 and 11. They attended St Rita’s Catholic School in Dallas, Texas, where their mother is employed as an instructional specialist.

The girls were found holding hands, 15 miles from the cabins where they had been camping with their parents and grandparents. Their grandparents Charlene and Mike Harber stayed in the same cabin as the girls and have yet to be found. The girls’ parents RJ and Annie Harber survived by breaking a window in their own cabin. They attempted to kayak to save their daughters but were forced to turn back due to the severe flooding.  

In a statement, St Rita’s school said: “Blair and Brooke were young women of deep faith, and religion was one of their favorite subjects. On the night they died, they went to the loft of their cabin with their rosaries. Even in their last moments, they held tightly to each other, a powerful symbol of their lasting bond and their trust in God.” 

The statement continued: “As a community of faith, we hold onto the hope and promise that Christ has defeated death, and that eternal life is waiting for those who love him.” 

Both sisters were involved in sports and the speech and drama programme at St Rita’s. Their father RJ told CNN that Blair “was a gifted student and had a generous kind heart”, while Brooke “was like a light in any room, people gravitated to her and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment”.  

A joint funeral for the Harber sisters will take place at St Rita’s after their grandparents are found.

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