Archbishop Bernard Hebda wrote on the recent unrest in the Minneapolis area following the shooting of Renee Good last week, saying he is praying for all and encouraging people to support the city's immigrant communities.
"I suspect that most would agree that there’s been a heaviness in our community these days," said Archbishop Hebda in his column "Achbishop's Weekly Word."
Since the shooting death of Good on January 7, the prelate said he finds himself "googling 'Minneapolis' every few hours to learn of the latest developments in a situation that truly tears at the heart."
Good, 37, was shot and killed by Jonathan Ross, a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.
Last week, Archbishop Hebda and the two auxiliary bishops of the archdiocese were on retreat with other area bishops, "so we had plenty of opportunity to pray," he said.
"I was praying for: consolation for the grieving members of the Good family; wisdom for our political leaders here and in Washington; prudence and safety for those charged with enforcing our laws; temperance on the part of those protesting; healing for those wounded by the divisions that cleave our state and our nation (especially our young); courage for our neighbors who have been living in fear; and a sense of hope for families directly impacted by the detention of loved ones."
He also was praying for the "parish priests, deacons, pastoral ministers and educators" who are directly dealing with the aftermath of the tension in Minneapolis, all while "striving to bring the light of the Gospel and the balm of Jesus’ love into these difficult situations."
Archbishop Hebda said he found it "providential" that the Psalm recited at Masses over the weekend included the line "The Lord will bless his people with peace."
"I am confident that the Lord keeps his promises, but I am hoping that he won’t keep us waiting too long. Maybe I should be praying for patience," he said.
He encouraged people to act as "instruments of peace and healing," and to contact parishes with large immigrant populations to see how they can be supported.
Since December, he said, "our immigrant parishes have seen drastic reductions in the number of parishioners attending Mass," with some dropping below 50% of their usual population.
"A number of parishioners expressed to me their concerns about how the parishes will be able to continue their excellent ministry and outreach to the needy if Mass attendance (and offertory) remains low," he said. "I’m confident that it would be a shot in the arm for them if you could join them some weekend."
