• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Young women embrace as Bishop J. Mark Spalding of Nashville, Tenn., celebrates a Mass March 27, 2023, at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in in Nashville, Tenn., for the victims of the Covenant Christian School shooting on the grounds of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nashville. Earlier that day, three adults and three children, all age 9, were fatally shot. (OSV News photo/Katie Peterson, Tennessee Register)

Praying for shooting victims as ‘family of faith’ is like ‘an embrace’ for community, Nashville bishop says at Mass

March 28, 2023
By Katie Peterson
OSV News
Filed Under: Feature, Gun Violence, News, World News

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (OSV News) — Nashville Bishop J. Mark Spalding celebrated the 5:30 p.m. Mass March 27 at the Cathedral of the Incarnation to pray for the victims of the school shooting that morning at The Covenant School in the city’s Green Hills neighborhood where it happened.

“On this day of such tragedy, we come here to gather as a people who live in hope, in faith and in love,” Bishop Spalding said at the beginning of Mass. “So, as we gather today, mindful of what our faith teaches us, that darkness, sin, death does not have the final word, but light, love, and the victory of Jesus Christ does.”

The shooter, later identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale, left six individuals dead, including three children, during the mid-morning hours of March 27 at the private Christian school. Founded as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church, it educates students in preschool through sixth grade.

Bishop J. Mark Spalding of Nashville, Tenn., celebrates a Mass March 27, 2023, at the Cathedral of the Incarnation to pray for the victims of the Covenant Christian School shooting on the grounds of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nashville. Earlier that day, three adults and three children, all age 9, were fatally shot. (OSV News photo/Katie Peterson, Tennessee Register)

Metro Nashville Police have identified the three child victims as 9-year-olds Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney and Hallie Scruggs, daughter of the senior pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church Chad Scruggs. The three adult victims include school head Katherine Koonce, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak and school custodian Mike Hill.

Hale, who was armed with two assault-type rifles, was fatally shot dead in interactions with officers who responded to the scene.

“We come here to be with and for each other, not only for us gathered here in this church today, but with and for all the people of Nashville and Middle Tennessee that have gone through this day struggling, emotional, tearful,” Bishop Spalding said in his homily. “We come together to be with everyone, and we’re together in our prayer, we’re together in our condolences and our sympathies, we’re together in our love, love for another.

“We are mindful that our faith, our hope and our love overcomes, endures, even through the darkness and the sufferings and pains of life, and today is one of those significant days of tragedy and pain.”

In talking to one another about the shooting. he said, “every time we think of the children, we think of the innocence, and it fills our hearts with powerful emotion, profound sadness, suffering, hurt, so we have to come together.”

“And we understand our words in these kinds of moments are somewhat insufficient, but for you and for our family and friends that we go to in the next hours and days ahead, please make sure you listen with love,” he continued. “Listen and our most profound response can be this. ‘I love you. I care for you. I’m here for you.’ Those words are sufficient.”

He said that he hoped “our prayer here as a family of faith today is like an embrace for our community, that others will know we care and we’re concerned.”

Bishop Spalding noted that the word ‘lament’ had been a frequent one on his mind throughout the day.

“Lament is a prayer or a poem or a song in which we cry out to God in our suffering and in our pain,” he said, “and we tell him, ‘Here is my hurt, here is my anger, here is my frustration, here is my woundedness and my weakness. Help me God. Help me in this moment.'”

Alex Freeburg cries during a community vigil at Belmont United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn., March 27, 2023, after a deadly shooting at the Covenant School on the grounds of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nashville. (OSV News photo/Austin Anthony, Reuters)

“And God will,” he concluded. “So, let us go through this Mass offering up our prayers, asking God to pour even more love into our hearts so that we can, in so many ways, embrace this hurting community around us.

“God, through the gift of your Son, you have brought life to the world. Send him into our hearts at this time, and as we pray for those family and friends of the lost, may they never forget our
love for them that we show in the name of Jesus, Lord, Savior, victor over sin and death.”

Nearly 150 people were present for the special Mass.

“It was incredibly heartbreaking to hear about the shooting, especially at a school so close to us where a lot of my good friends babysit kids who go there,” said Bridget Hall, a junior at Vanderbilt University, told the Tennessee Register, Nashville’s diocesan newspaper. “I’m in a lot of group chats with Christian groups, and we all just prayed all day long for these kids and for their families, so it was really heartbreaking to hear.”

Reflecting on why she wanted to come to Mass, Hall said, “This is my community and I can’t do anything other than pray for those kids and for their families.”

Lynn Davis, a parishioner of the cathedral, had similar feelings.

“I’d heard about the shooting from a friend of mine whose two daughters went to Covenant School, and I know the heartbreak she was feeling, and I was just stunned,” Davis said. “I turned on the television and just started to watch things unfold and I thought I just need to be with people who love God, trust God and can offer heartfelt condolences and prayers in a way that was meaningful for me.”

The Diocese of Nashville and the Catholic Schools Office encouraged all to keep the victims in their prayers.

“It’s so hard to even find the words because it’s tragic, it’s senseless, it’s a loss of innocent life,” said Rebecca Hammel, superintendent of schools for the diocese.

“They are our colleagues. We know people there and we’re saddened that they’re not only experiencing this but that their lives are changed forever because of this senseless act,” Hammel said. “We grieve with the community. As a private school in this city, we are engaged with fellow private school leaders and we care for one another, so this hits all of us deeply.”

Read More Gun Violence

A year after mass shooting, Catholic Extension recommits to ongoing support for Uvalde community

Uvalde Catholic community marks painful anniversary with Mass, prayers

‘Bless those who walk the blue line,’ bishop prays as nation honors police

Vigil walkers demand justice for slain Fabián Sánchez–González

Dallas bishop reacts to mass shooting at mall with ‘heavy heart,’ urges ‘prayers for peace’ in communities

East Baltimore aches after violent death of Fabián Sánchez–González

Copyright © 2023 OSV News

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Katie Peterson

Our Sunday Visitor is a Catholic publisher serving millions of Catholics globally through its publishing and communication services. Katie Peterson is a reporter with the Tennessee Register, newspaper of the Diocese of Nashville.

View all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Assault outside Planned Parenthood office leaves pregnancy center employees shaken
  • Missionary of mercy priest: ‘Be Christ to all people’ in a world ‘hungry for the Word’
  • ‘God’s Scribe’: Father Breighner retires popular column after more than 50 years
  • Movie Review: ‘Padre Pio’
  • Bishop Victor Galeone, former Archdiocese of Baltimore priest and bishop of St. Augustine, dies at 87

| Latest Local News |

‘God’s Scribe’: Father Breighner retires popular column after more than 50 years

Bishop Victor Galeone, former Archdiocese of Baltimore priest and bishop of St. Augustine, dies at 87

Assault outside Planned Parenthood office leaves pregnancy center employees shaken

| Latest World News |

Nevada’s Catholic governor who campaigned as ‘pro-life’ signs some abortion protections into law

Pope names Cardinal Farrell next head of Vatican City high court

Senate approves House-passed debt ceiling deal, avoiding default

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Nevada’s Catholic governor who campaigned as ‘pro-life’ signs some abortion protections into law
  • Pope names Cardinal Farrell next head of Vatican City high court
  • Senate approves House-passed debt ceiling deal, avoiding default
  • Profit-at-all-costs is not a good business model, pope says
  • Farewell and thank you
  • ‘God’s Scribe’: Father Breighner retires popular column after more than 50 years
  • Expertos esperan avances en salud, discapacidad y ministerio hispano en la reunión de junio de los obispos de EE.UU.
  • Experts hope for progress on health care, disability ministry and Hispanic Catholics at U.S. bishops’ June meeting
  • Movie Review: ‘Padre Pio’

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2023 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED