People all over the world are watching Texas and following the news with heartbreak. We are praying for every soul affected by this devastating tragedy.
One story in particular caught our attention. As they died, two Catholic sisters showed the world what love looks like.
Blair Harber, 13, and Brooke Harber, 11, were vacationing with their parents and grandparents on the Guadalupe River. When the flash flood raised the river more than 22 feet in half an hour in the early morning hours of July 4, it lifted and carried away the cabin in which they were staying with their grandparents.
Blair, a rising 8th grader, and Brooke, a rising 6th grader, attended St. Rita Catholic School in Dallas, Texas. The school described the sisters in a statement:
Blair was an outstanding student enrolled in advanced classes and actively involved in school activities. She played volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, cheered for the St. Rita cheerleading team, and served as a Student Ambassador, proudly guiding prospective families through the school. She was also a member of the yearbook team and took part in the speech and drama program. This year, she was excited to audition for the lead role in the 8th-grade play. Blair had the kindest heart and loved to serve others.
Brooke was an excellent student who brought joy and energy wherever she went. She was an accomplished soccer, basketball, volleyball, and lacrosse player, known for her spirit and determination. She, too, loved speech and drama and had a particular gift for improv that brought smiles and laughter to those around her. Brooke never met a stranger and loved everyone she met.
A father’s desperate fight
Their parents were safe in a separate cabin, but when the waters began rising, their father, RJ, borrowed a kayak and desperately tried to reach his girls. But the waters were too dangerous and he couldn’t make it to them.
Blair and Brooke were trapped in the cabin with their grandparents, who remain unaccounted for and are still in our prayers.
But in the hours before they died, both girls managed to text their parents: “I love you.”
Their school described them turning to God and Our Lady in their final moments:
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.
Blair and Brooke held tight until the end
When Blair and Brooke were found the next day, 15 miles downriver, they were together with their hands locked tight. Even in their last moments, they held tightly to each other, which their school called “a powerful symbol of their lasting bond.”
That image will stay with us forever, of the two sisters who refused to let go. Nothing could tear them apart.
You just know those sisters would not lose each other for anything on earth. Whatever happened, they were going to face it together.
Love this strong doesn't end
The sisters’ mom, Annie, is a teacher at St. Rita’s, and the whole parish is holding this family close, saying:
In this time of deep sorrow, we stay grounded in our faith and united in love.
We will stand with the Harber family in the days to come, surrounding them with our prayers, compassion, and unwavering support.
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.
We pray that Christ’s hope and healing will sustain the Harber family. May their girls’ memories always be a blessing.
They will not be forgotten — not only by those who knew and loved them, but also by all of us as we honor their witness of sisterly love to the end.
