Annunciation Catholic School continues to show incredible resilience in the wake of a mass shooting in August that left two students dead and injured nearly two dozen other people. The school marked the feast of St. Therese of Lisieux with acts of kindness that spread beyond their classroom walls. FOX 9’s Leon Purvis has the story.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Annunciation Catholic School continues to show incredible resilience in the wake of a mass shooting in August that left two students dead and injured nearly two dozen other people.
The school marked the feast of St. Therese of Lisieux with acts of kindness that spread beyond their classroom walls.
Annunciation Catholic School shows kindness
What we know:
The main message Annunciation students want to send is that what matters in life is not great deeds, but great love. The Catholic school shared images on its Facebook page saying they see this great love in action every day.
Former teachers came back to share their gifts, and middle school students took on cafeteria chores, like cleaning the tables and mopping the floor. Alumni also spoke to eighth graders about life beyond middle school.
Cards from Annunciation reach Pope Leo XIV
What they’re saying:
Archbishop Bernard Hebda personally hand-delivered cards made by Annunciation students to Pope Leo at the Vatican. Some of the cards thanked the Pope for praying for students. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Auxiliary Bishop Kevin Kenney was on The Afternoon Shift on Thursday to talk about the meeting.
Bishop Kevin Kenney of the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis joined Adam Llorens on “The Afternoon Shift” to discuss his personal ties to Annunciation Catholic School (he’s a 1974 alumnus) as well as his recent audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican where he gave him a button from Annunciation.
“Pope Leo is such a human person, and I guess being from the United States and Chicago, and that you just feel that relationship and feel a little closer to him, that he you know you understand him, know where he’s coming from,” said Bishop Kenny.
After Archbishop Hebda handed the Pope the cards, he released a statement to FOX 9 that said: “The Holy Father was amazingly warm, and promised his prayers for the families at Annunciation and for the whole Archdiocese. I felt honored to have had a few moments of his time.”
A few weeks ago, Kenney personally gave Pope Leo a 100th Annunciation anniversary button at the Vatican. It’s to let the Pope know he’s a VIP at Annunciation.