The Diocese of Texas reports on Bishop C. Andrew Doyle’s response to today’s shooting deaths near Houston:
As some of you are now aware there was a school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, just a few miles southeast of Houston. Multiple fatalities have been confirmed, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
“Prayers are offered for the students, families and faculty who have been impacted by this act of violence,” Bishop Andy Doyle said. “I have already received prayers from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, who reached out immediately.
“Locally, members of your diocesan staff have been in conversation with leadership across the area. The local clergy and lay leadership are praying, calling, and reaching out to those we are connected to in the school. Like any church in the midst of the community, we are a network of relationships that include the very lives of those who are at this very moment dealing with the horror of personal loss.
“We grieve gun violence perpetrated in one of the most vulnerable of situations — a school. Now is the time to grieve and pastor the families in our community who are hurting and dismayed and searching for hope. Our churches in the surrounding area stand ready with pastoral care for anyone affected by this tragedy.”
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Dickinson will host an ecumenical, community-wide prayer service this evening, May 18, at 6:30 p.m. in response to the shooting at Santa Fe High School which took place this morning. According to Vicki Westover, senior warden at Holy Trinity, the mayor, council members, and other local pastors have been invited to participate.
Holy Trinity will be open today for prayer for those seeking a quiet place for reflection. The church is located at 4613 Highway 3 in Dickinson. Call 281.337.1833 for further details.
Other nearby Episcopal Churches:
Grace Church
112 W. Lang Street
Alvin, TX 77511
281.331.5657
The Rev. Nan Doerr
St. George’s Church
510 13th Avenue North
Texas City, TX 77590
409.945.2583
The Rev. Robin Reeves
All Saints Church
10416 Highway 6
Hitchcock TX 77563
409.925.2544
The Rev. Mark Marmon
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
