Father Scott Janysek was due to celebrate his inaugural Mass on Sunday at Notre Dame Church in Kerrville but rising floodwaters from the Guadalupe River have turned the rectory into a relief distribution centre and the school gym into a sanctuary for evacuees and a gathering place for people searching for missing loved ones. Father Scott was at the scene of the disaster and widespread grief, after heavy rains in Kerr County caused the river to rise to a height of 9 metres – the height of a two-storey building – in less than 45 minutes on Friday morning.
The floodwaters rapidly inundated the site of Camp Mystic, an all-girls’ Christian camp that was hosting around 750 people, mostly children and teenagers. At the time of writing, 82 people have been confirmed dead, while 41 are still missing, many of whom were girls staying at the camp. Statements have been released by the Church and political figures.
Response from the Church and from the political world
Archbishop Gustavo Garcia Siller of San Antonio arrived at Notre Dame Parish with Auxiliary Bishop Michael Boulette after driving through the disaster-stricken areas, to celebrate Mass. He offered words of comfort in English and Spanish to those present, knowing that some families were desperately searching for their loved ones in the mud. On Sunday, President Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County, while Texas Governor Greg Abbott visited the summer camp, describing it as “horrendously ravaged in ways unlike any natural disaster I have seen before.” During his Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo XIV said in English: “I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters, who were at the summer camp, in the disaster caused by flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States.”
Prayers, relief and controversy
Rescue operations saved 850 people thanks to the use of drones, helicopters, divers and boats. However, a 27-year-old father bled to death after punching through the window of his trailer to save his family from the rising floodwaters. Hiis wife, mother and two children survived.
Two sisters from St. Rita Catholic School in Dallas, aged 13 and 11, tragically lost their lives to the floodwaters. They were camping with their grandparents, who are still missing. Staff shortages in the meteorological service may have delayed the timely release of the flood alerts.
Budget cuts ordered by the Department of Government Efficiency in Trump’s administration led to the dismissal of more than 600 meteorologists. Meanwhile, Father Janysek has proclaimed a week of prayer for the victims, their families, and the first responders and volunteers searching for survivors in the devastated area.
