Camp Mystic alumnae sing songs after a memorial service on July 7, 2025, for the young campers who perished in floods last week. / Credit: Amira Abuzeid/CNAHouston, Texas, Jul 8, 2025 / 17:51 pm (CNA).The faith communities of the Texas Hill Country flood victims are rallying in support of the families with Masses, rosaries, and memorial services. The Fourth of July flood disaster near the central Texas town of Kerrville, where the Guadalupe River rose 35 feet in the early morning hours, has claimed over 100 lives so far, including more than 30 young children, with many more still unaccounted for.Especially affected was Camp Mystic, the 100-year-old Christian girls' camp in Hunt, Texas. At least 27 campers there perished, with several more, including a counselor, not yet recovered.Over the last few days, schools and churches in Houston, where many current and former Camp Mystic families reside, have held prayer services and Masses for the victims and their families.Mou...
Camp Mystic alumnae sing songs after a memorial service on July 7, 2025, for the young campers who perished in floods last week. / Credit: Amira Abuzeid/CNA
Houston, Texas, Jul 8, 2025 / 17:51 pm (CNA).
The faith communities of the Texas Hill Country flood victims are rallying in support of the families with Masses, rosaries, and memorial services.
The Fourth of July flood disaster near the central Texas town of Kerrville, where the Guadalupe River rose 35 feet in the early morning hours, has claimed over 100 lives so far, including more than 30 young children, with many more still unaccounted for.
Especially affected was Camp Mystic, the 100-year-old Christian girls' camp in Hunt, Texas. At least 27 campers there perished, with several more, including a counselor, not yet recovered.
Over the last few days, schools and churches in Houston, where many current and former Camp Mystic families reside, have held prayer services and Masses for the victims and their families.
Mourners pray in a chapel outside of the Church of St. John the Divine in Houston on July 7, 2025, after a memorial service for the Camp Mystic girls who perished in the floods in central Texas last week. Credit: Amira Abuzeid/CNA
In an email, Father Sean Horrigan, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, asked the community for prayers for the family of Anna Margaret Bellows, 8, a parishioner who was one of the 27 girls who died in the flood.
He said funeral details were forthcoming.
St. John Vianney Church held a memorial Mass on Monday, July 7, for Molly DeWitt, another of the young girls who passed away.
A filled-to-overflowing memorial service for Camp Mystic families took place on July 7 at the Church of St. John the Divine, an Episcopal church with deep ties to the camp. Buried there is Anne Eastland Spears, former Camp Mystic chairman of the board and mother of camp director Dick Eastland, who lost his life while rescuing campers from the flood.
The Church of St. John the Divine in Houston, Texas on July 7, 2025. Credit: Amira Abuzeid/CNA
The ministers spoke of Jesus' love for his children, especially when they suffer. St. John's rector, Rev. Leigh Spruill, encouraged those in mourning to "have hope. Keep talking to God … He may seem absent now, but he hears everything and he is present."
Youth ministry director Rev. Sutton Lowe referred to the Gospel story of Jairus and his little girl, who died and whom Jesus raised from the dead.
"When we die, Jesus is there to touch us and say 'arise,' and there is new life beyond our imagining," he said.
Rev. Libby Garfield told mourners that "there is a path forward that is lined with the life and death and resurrection of Jesus."
After the service, Camp Mystic alumnae of all ages gathered on the lawn north of the church, forming a large circle in the grass and singing camp songs, many of which were Christian hymns.
Ashley Emshoff, an alumna who spoke to CNA after the memorial, told CNA that the camp forges bonds between campers that are lifelong and are "as strong as family."
Mystic alumna and St. John parishioner Alafair Hotze told CNA the Eastland family, who run the camp, became like family to generations of campers.
Camp Mystic alumnae and family sing after the memorial service on July 7, 2025, honoring victims of the flash floods in Central Texas last week. Credit: Amira Abuzeid/CNA
Emshoff and Hotze said that many Camp Mystic alumnae are so eager for their daughters to become part of the Mystic community that they write to the camp as soon as they find out they are pregnant with girls. The Eastlands respond with a Camp Mystic infant onesie for their newborn and a letter of congratulations (along with a place on the waitlist).
Hotze said that Dick Eastland's death, while tragic, aligned perfectly with the man he was: "He taught us to be selfless and love as Christ loves," Hotze said.
"He died as he had lived," Hotze said: "Giving his life for those he loved."
A sign outside the Internal Revenue Service building in downtown Washington, D.C. / Credit: Rob Crandall/ShutterstockCNA Staff, Jul 8, 2025 / 13:54 pm (CNA).The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) this week backed off a decades-old rule first established during the Eisenhower administration, declaring for the first time since the 1950s that churches and other nonprofits can openly endorse political candidates without risking their tax-exempt status.The order resolves a lawsuit launched in August 2024 by a coalition of religious broadcasters, one that challenged the 1954 Johnson Amendment, which says that 501(c)(3) nonprofits may not "participate in or intervene in" political campaigns.Advocates have argued that the rule shields the nonprofit industry from caustic politics. The National Religious Broadcasters, meanwhile, said in its suit that the tax rule punished churches by "silenc[ing] their speech while providing no realistic alternative for operating in any other fashion."In a f...
A sign outside the Internal Revenue Service building in downtown Washington, D.C. / Credit: Rob Crandall/Shutterstock
CNA Staff, Jul 8, 2025 / 13:54 pm (CNA).
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) this week backed off a decades-old rule first established during the Eisenhower administration, declaring for the first time since the 1950s that churches and other nonprofits can openly endorse political candidates without risking their tax-exempt status.
The order resolves a lawsuit launched in August 2024 by a coalition of religious broadcasters, one that challenged the 1954 Johnson Amendment, which says that 501(c)(3) nonprofits may not "participate in or intervene in" political campaigns.
Advocates have argued that the rule shields the nonprofit industry from caustic politics. The National Religious Broadcasters, meanwhile, said in its suit that the tax rule punished churches by "silenc[ing] their speech while providing no realistic alternative for operating in any other fashion."
In a filing on Monday with the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Texas, the IRS agreed with the religious broadcasters in that "communications internal to a house of worship, between the house of worship and its congregation, in connection with religious services" do not run afoul of the amendment's prohibition on "participating in" campaigns.
The rule "imposes a substantial burden on plaintiffs' free exercise of religion," the filing states.
The document points to numerous nonprofits that are allowed to opine on political candidacies even as churches remain barred from doing so. The Johnson Amendment is "not a neutral rule of general applicability," it says.
Religious entities "cannot fulfill their spiritual duties to teach the full counsel of the Word of God if they fail to address such issues and to inform their listeners how the views of various political candidates compare to the Bible's position on such matters," it states.
The Monday filing asked the court to accept the agreement, which will bar the IRS from enforcing the rule. The court accepted the decision shortly after its filing.
The National Religious Broadcasters did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump said at the 2017 National Prayer Breakfast that he aspired to "get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson Amendment and allow our representatives of faith to speak freely and without fear of retribution."
A Planned Parenthood facility in Minneapolis. / Credit: Ken Wolter/ShutterstockWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 8, 2025 / 14:24 pm (CNA).A federal judge has temporarily blocked the government's effort to defund Planned Parenthood by ordering President Donald Trump's administration to continue funding to the nation's largest abortion provider for at least the next 14 days.The court order, signed by Judge Indira Talwani, partially halts a provision in the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" that would have cut off Medicaid reimbursements for certain organizations that perform abortions. Trump signed the bill on Friday, July 4, after it passed both chambers of Congress with support from most Republicans and no Democrats.Planned Parenthood Federation of America sued the administration just three days after Trump signed the bill into law and asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement against the organization while its litigation continues. Talwani signed the ...
A Planned Parenthood facility in Minneapolis. / Credit: Ken Wolter/Shutterstock
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the government's effort to defund Planned Parenthood by ordering President Donald Trump's administration to continue funding to the nation's largest abortion provider for at least the next 14 days.
The court order, signed by Judge Indira Talwani, partially halts a provision in the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" that would have cut off Medicaid reimbursements for certain organizations that perform abortions. Trump signed the bill on Friday, July 4, after it passed both chambers of Congress with support from most Republicans and no Democrats.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America sued the administration just three days after Trump signed the bill into law and asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement against the organization while its litigation continues. Talwani signed the order on the same day.
In a statement shortly after the order was signed, Planned Parenthood thanked the judge for acting quickly "to block this unconstitutional law attacking Planned Parenthood providers and patients."
According to the statement, Planned Parenthood staffers had "been forced to turn away patients who use Medicaid to get basic sexual and reproductive health care."
The lawsuit asserts the defunding effort targets Planned Parenthood "for punishment" and that even though the organization isn't singled out by name, it is "the target of the law."
It claims the bill denies Planned Parenthood equal protection under the law and that the network has been targeted because of "its unique role in providing abortions and advocating for abortion rights and access across the country."
In a statement provided to CNA, a White House official did not get into specific legal arguments but stated that the provision to defund organizations that perform abortion is in line with public opinion.
"The Trump administration is ending the forced use of federal taxpayer dollars to fund or promote elective abortion — a commonsense position that the overwhelming majority of Americans agree with," the official said.
Katie Glenn Daniel, the director of legal affairs and policy counsel at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, told CNA that Planned Parenthood's lawsuit is "brazen defiance of elected leaders, both the president and Congress, who had every right to act on the will of the people to stop forced taxpayer funding of Big Abortion."
"Before the ink was even dry on President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, abortion giant Planned Parenthood ran to court to protect their cash flow of over $2 million a day from American taxpayers, and an activist federal judge obliged by ordering the spigot turned back on," Glenn Daniel added.
Glenn Daniel thanked the Trump administration for "standing firm on principle" and accused Planned Parenthood of trying to "run out the clock and rake in every last tax dollar they can."
"We're confident [the Trump administration] will prevail and the abortion industry's last-ditch money grab will fail," she said.
Under long-standing federal law, taxpayer money cannot be used to fund most abortions. Federal funds have historically still covered non-abortive services at abortion clinics through Medicaid reimbursements.
Planned Parenthood's annual report for July 2023 to June 2024 disclosed that the abortion network received nearly $800 million in taxpayer funding in that period, which accounted for almost 40% of its total revenue. A large portion of these funds come from state and federal Medicaid reimbursements.
Pro-life organizations for decades have urged the federal government and state governments to end all taxpayer funds for organizations that perform abortions. The legislation signed by Trump halts federal Medicaid reimbursements to those organizations for one year, but activists hope to make the policy shift permanent.
The issue came before the Supreme Court in its last term after South Carolina halted state-level Medicaid reimbursement funding for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic facilities. Two patients who received non-abortive services at those facilities sued the state, claiming that the policy violated their right to receive services at the provider of their choosing.
In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court sided with South Carolina, finding that the patients did not have a legal right to sue. However, the current case against the federal government is distinctly different because the abortion network — rather than the patients — filed the lawsuit on different grounds.
Summertime vacations can also be very spiritually beneficial. / Credit: Egor Pasko from Moscow, Russia, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia CommonsACI Prensa Staff, Jul 8, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).With the arrival of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, many people take a vacation, a period of rest away from their routine but also a unique opportunity to reconnect with their faith.A bishop, a mother, and a priest shared some tips from their own experiences for "sanctifying vacations" and evangelizing at vacation spots.1. Take time to connect with God.Speaking with ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, the bishop of Matamoros-Reynosa in Mexico, Eugenio Lira, emphasized that summer is a time of rest to "recreate" ourselves, that is, to "completely renew ourselves."The prelate thus advised "dedicating time to prayer and contemplation" to "connect" with God and "better see the great gifts he gives us," being aware "that we are uncondit...
Summertime vacations can also be very spiritually beneficial. / Credit: Egor Pasko from Moscow, Russia, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 8, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).
With the arrival of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, many people take a vacation, a period of rest away from their routine but also a unique opportunity to reconnect with their faith.
A bishop, a mother, and a priest shared some tips from their own experiences for "sanctifying vacations" and evangelizing at vacation spots.
1. Take time to connect with God.
Speaking with ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, the bishop of Matamoros-Reynosa in Mexico, Eugenio Lira, emphasized that summer is a time of rest to "recreate" ourselves, that is, to "completely renew ourselves."
The prelate thus advised "dedicating time to prayer and contemplation" to "connect" with God and "better see the great gifts he gives us," being aware "that we are unconditionally and infinitely loved."
In this context, the Mexican bishop invited the faithful to value more and be aware that "we must responsibly care for our lives." He also advised dedicating time to reading good books, "talking with family and friends, and doing something for others, such as evangelizing, going on a mission trip, visiting the sick, prisoners, a retirement home or a nursing home."
Bishop Eugenio Lira of Matamoros-Reynosa, Mexico. Credit: Diocese of Matamoros-Reynosa, Mexico
Lira even encouraged people to use social media to "share a Gospel message that conveys faith, love, and hope. We can always do something to improve and help make the lives of others better."
2. Strengthen family ties.
Leticia Sánchez de León lives in Rome with her husband and four children. Although she studied law in Madrid, she has been working in strategic communications since 2016. She currently has a blog on family communication and education and moderates family counseling courses.
Sánchez de León shared several tips for "living a Christian summer, healthy, joyful, generous with others, where God is found in the small details and where all family members can recharge to return to their daily routine in September.
For the mother, by putting these small things into practice, "we will go deeper into what it means for the family to be a domestic church in the midst of the society of our time and from which the individual can set out to build a more just, more welcoming, more peaceful, more convivial, and more deeply human humanity."
First, she advised strengthening family ties and rediscovering "harmony" among family members: "During vacation, we have more time to relate face-to-face with our spouse and our children and to listen more closely," she said.
Leticia Sánchez de León, a Spaniard, lives in Rome with her husband and four children. Credit: Almudena Martínez-Bordiú/ACI Prensa
To this end, Sánchez de León emphasized, it can be very helpful to "pray for them before the vacation begins." She also encouraged spouses to maintain good communication and maintain harmony between them, since "on vacation people often get upset."
She also encouraged them to enjoy simple family plans: "Those memories will remain firmly fixed in their hearts, and tomorrow, what they will remember about what it is to be a family will be those plans together, where everyone had a voice, where everyone could choose, where everyone did things for each other."
3. Instill detachment and generosity.
Sánchez de León also noted that sometimes we have a "distorted idea of ??vacation." She consequently reminded everyone that vacation is a time "to instill some values ??that we struggle to transmit during the year, due to the lack of downtime."
In this sense, she highlighted two family values: detachment and generosity. Although during vacation "rules and schedules are relaxed," she advised parents to say "no" from time to time, so that their children appreciate things more. "The virtues of detachment and austerity are not very fashionable these days and therefore attract a lot of attention when seen in other people," she noted.
"In families," she added, "everyone has to pitch in and collaborate, always assigning small tasks appropriate to their age and helping them if we see they aren't capable or need a push: taking out the trash, unloading the dishwasher, setting the table, watering the plants, emptying the beach bag, hanging up swimsuits, etc."
4. Take a vacation, but with God.
All of these ideas, Sánchez de León clarified, "really stem from the intention to live out our vacation with a Christian sense of purpose," since "everything is deeply connected to our life with God."
"How are we going to give meaning to vacation, plans, and moments of connection if we are distracted from the ultimate meaning of our lives? How can we bring Jesus to others during vacation if we don't have him within us and within our summer home, between the beach towels and bags of potato chips?" she asked.
"God also wants to be with us in the summer. He wants us to enjoy ourselves, and he wants to see us enjoying ourselves with him. God wants to be in our family plans and in the ice cream drippings on our children's T-shirts; we can share everything with him," she pointed out.
To achieve this, she advised "not forgetting the small spiritual or devotional practices" that are usually practiced during the academic year, such as praying the rosary, some spiritual reading, the Angelus at noon, or saying grace before meals.
"By practicing these things, we elevate our souls to God and can give thanks for what we are receiving this summer. Vacation is also a great opportunity to pray more serenely, dive into reading, and deepen our relationship with God," she affirmed.
Finally, the mother of four noted that, "if we maintain this harmony, we will also be more able to look upon others better, help them, serve them, overcome friction, and have more patience. Putting God into our daily lives will help us live a more Christian summer that will give us rest and deeply fill our souls. We will also be creating unforgettable memories for ourselves to continue building upon in the years to come."
5. Preach by example.
Father Héctor Razo, an Opus Dei Mexican priest, pointed out in a conversation with ACI Prensa that evangelization during vacation "can be done through one's own life and one's own example of a life lived united with Jesus."
"Sometimes we Christians can think that changing the world in which we live — this world that is increasingly secularized — is a feat that would take years, or perhaps centuries, when in reality that is not the case," he explained.
He thus invited the faithful to reflect on the early Christians: "They had everything against them, and yet they managed to convert an entire society from pagan to Christian. How did they do it? By their example, because they belonged to Christ and that person had changed their hearts."
In this regard, he recalled St. Josemaría Escrivá, "the saint who would preach the universal call to holiness through ordinary life," who summed it up in one sentence: Know Jesus Christ, make him known, take him everywhere. That is, "be so in love with Christ that it becomes so natural for us to speak about him to those around us."
To achieve this, he encouraged Catholics to "live our own faith wherever we are, without shame. If we say grace at home, we should also do so when we are on vacation with our friends and relatives."
"Teach your children that God deserves a place even during vacations, by going to Sunday Mass and perhaps one more day during the week. By praying the rosary as a family a couple of days a week, with the intention of praying for something special and involving everyone in that prayer; that is, by having each child lead a mystery," Razo suggested.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Austin Baron at the "American Ninja Warrior"course filming for Season 17 of the show. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Austin BaronWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 8, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).At just 19 years old, Austin Baron is taking college classes, competing on sports reality television, making handmade dog toys, and raising tens of thousands of dollars to feed the hungry. How does he do it all? According to him, it's all thanks to "the gifts God's given" him.Baron is a rising sophomore at the University of Notre Dame and the founder of Knot Perfect, a nonprofit that has provided more than 100,000 meals to children and families across the globe. He is now using his participation on NBC's reality television show "American Ninja Warrior" to help expand his outreach.Discovering his missionBaron was first moved to feed the hungry when he was 12 years old and volunteered at his parish, St. Theresa Catholic Church in Ashburn, Virginia, to pack meals for Cross Catholic Outreach's food dist...
Austin Baron at the "American Ninja Warrior"course filming for Season 17 of the show. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Austin Baron
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 8, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
At just 19 years old, Austin Baron is taking college classes, competing on sports reality television, making handmade dog toys, and raising tens of thousands of dollars to feed the hungry. How does he do it all? According to him, it's all thanks to "the gifts God's given" him.
Baron is a rising sophomore at the University of Notre Dame and the founder of Knot Perfect, a nonprofit that has provided more than 100,000 meals to children and families across the globe. He is now using his participation on NBC's reality television show "American Ninja Warrior" to help expand his outreach.
Discovering his mission
Baron was first moved to feed the hungry when he was 12 years old and volunteered at his parish, St. Theresa Catholic Church in Ashburn, Virginia, to pack meals for Cross Catholic Outreach's food distribution ministry You(th) vs. Hunger.
"I learned that a billion people go to bed hungry each night," Baron told CNA. "The meals I was packing with my own hands would be the only food for someone else to eat."
"That really inspired me to want to do something to help them. Billion is a big number, and I decided that I wanted to start collecting donations because that would be a way that we could pack more meals and feed more people."
Baron began collecting donations and gave them to a number of organizations that help provide meals but primarily to You(th) vs. Hunger. In order to "excite people and to encourage them to donate," he said, he decided to turn it into a fun experience by giving those who donated a handmade dog toy.
"I love animals — especially dogs," Baron said. "And around the same time that I wanted to start feeding the hungry, I started making dog toys. I watched videos to learn how to make them." Since then, Baron has made more than 1,500 knotted dog toys.
Austin Baron pictured with the handmade knotted dog toys given to people who have donated to Knot Perfect. Credit: Photo courtesy of Austin Baron
Around the time of the pandemic, it became more challenging for Baron to collect cash donations, so at 16 years old, with the help of his parents and brothers, Baron turned his project into a nonprofit that could collect online donations. He named the organization Knot Perfect to represent both the knotted toys and the imperfect world where hunger is an issue across the globe.
Using 'American Ninja Warrior' to feed the hungry
After starting Knot Perfect, Baron had an inspiring rock-climbing experience that sparked his next big move.
"I went rock climbing on a cliff over the Atlantic Ocean, and I really had a wonderful experience doing that. And then ... around the same time I was doing that, I started watching '[American] Ninja Warrior.'"
"American Ninja Warrior" is a sports-competition reality show that features athletes from around the country who compete on "the most difficult obstacle courses." Participants compete for the fastest time and race to get a "button push" — pressing the buzzer at the end of the course indicating they completed the obstacle without falling off.
After watching the series, Baron "went to a 'Ninja Warrior' gym to train and to try the obstacles that were on the show, and [I] just really fell in love with the sport, and especially the ninja community."
"Everyone was super supportive, even though we're all competing against each other on the course. Everyone helps each other and shares their tips and encourages them on all the obstacles … then a friend suggested that I apply for the show."
"I didn't know if I was going to get in," Baron said. "[But] I feel like God really blessed me with the opportunity to be on the show and to use it to advocate for an end to world hunger and to encourage other people to do good in the world."
Austin Baron completes the "American Ninja Warrior" course and advances to the semifinals for Season 17. Credit: Photo courtesy of Trae Patton/NBC
Baron heard back that he was accepted for Season 15 of the show. In 2023, he participated and made it to the semifinal round. (Approximately 40,000 of the meals provided by Knot Perfect were a direct result of Baron's appearance on "American Ninja Warrior.")
Baron was invited to rejoin the show for Season 17, which is taking place in Las Vegas this summer. So far he has been a fierce competitor, hitting his first buzzer on the June 2 episode, which advanced him to the upcoming July 14 semifinals.
Wearing a shirt that says "Ninja Fighting Hunger" on the episode, Baron said he is "dedicating [his] summer to being the hands and feet of Christ for the 1 billion people around the world who go to bed hungry each night."
Knot Perfect's next steps
As much as Baron enjoys the course and community of "American Ninja Warrior," he said, "The whole reason I go on the show is to advocate for world hunger … As a result of being on the season this year, we're trying to pack our 1-millionth meal as a community in northern Virginia. It's our 10-year anniversary of packing meals, and we have a big goal of hitting that million-meal mark."
The anniversary marks a milestone for You(th) vs. Hunger, and Baron said he hopes "American Ninja Warrior" can help the Catholic community reach its goal, as a donation of just $10 allows the organization to feed 30 people.
"My mission of feeding the hungry, starting a nonprofit, and then going to the University of Notre Dame and competing on ['American Ninja Warrior'], I just felt that God has really blessed me with this opportunity," Baron said. "I felt his hands, him walking me, and helping me throughout it."
As he heads into his sophomore year, Baron will continue to study business analytics to continue his nonprofit and its mission after he graduates. He recently received two grants totaling $1,650 to help him reach his donation goals.
He was also selected as the Virginia Young Man of the Year by the Knights of Columbus in 2024 for his work. But he gives all the credit to God.
"I'm so grateful to God for the gifts he's given me and to use it to do something good for other people. I couldn't have done any of this without him," Baron said. "It's him, not me. I'm so grateful to him for that."
San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller speaks to the press after the memorial Mass for the Guadalupe River flood victims on July 6, 2025. / Credit: Sophie AbuzeidHouston, Texas, Jul 7, 2025 / 17:17 pm (CNA).Catholic leaders and government officials on Monday continued to issue statements of solidarity and support to victims of the catastrophic flash flooding in the Texas Hill Country over the weekend. The death toll rose to 94 Monday afternoon, according to county officials, with Camp Mystic, the girls' Christian camp devastated on July 4, confirming that 27 girls have perished, while 10 girls and a counselor from the camp are still unaccounted for.Notre Dame Catholic Church in Kerrville held a memorial Mass for the flood victims on Sunday. Afterward, San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller told CNA the Church is "listening to the cry of all those who suffer, and their cry is not falling on deaf ears."Worshippers pray at the Texas Hill Country flood victims' mem...
San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller speaks to the press after the memorial Mass for the Guadalupe River flood victims on July 6, 2025. / Credit: Sophie Abuzeid
Houston, Texas, Jul 7, 2025 / 17:17 pm (CNA).
Catholic leaders and government officials on Monday continued to issue statements of solidarity and support to victims of the catastrophic flash flooding in the Texas Hill Country over the weekend.
The death toll rose to 94 Monday afternoon, according to county officials, with Camp Mystic, the girls' Christian camp devastated on July 4, confirming that 27 girls have perished, while 10 girls and a counselor from the camp are still unaccounted for.
Notre Dame Catholic Church in Kerrville held a memorial Mass for the flood victims on Sunday. Afterward, San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller told CNA the Church is "listening to the cry of all those who suffer, and their cry is not falling on deaf ears."
Worshippers pray at the Texas Hill Country flood victims' memorial Mass in Notre Dame Catholic Church in Kerrville, Texas, on July 6, 2025. Credit: Sophie Abuzeid
He said that "pain and sorrow and death do not have the last word"; rather, "goodness, truth, love, and care [do], and hope never dies."
The Mass had already been scheduled as the installation Mass for the parish's new pastor, Father Scott Janysek.
In his first homily as pastor at Notre Dame, Janysek said in a time of crisis, "there is only one community. Whether we're Catholic or Protestant … at this time, boundaries do not exist. We are one community, and we are all hurting."
"We are one Church," Janysek continued. He asked the congregation: "What does Catholic mean?"
"Universal!" they responded eagerly.
People pray during the memorial Mass for victims of catastrophic flooding in Texas at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Kerrville, Texas, on July 6, 2025. Credit: Sophie Abuzeid
"Yes, it means universal. It's a description of what we are. We are the universal Church. We are one community."
Janysek spoke of the two young girls who attended St. Rita Catholic School in Dallas who drowned and were found with their hands clasped together 15 miles from where they had been staying, saying: "We are connected to the Church in Dallas… We are connected to all the churches across our state. We hurt with them."
Archbishop Joe S. Vasquez of Galveston-Houston released a statement on July 5 saying the archdiocese joined the Archdiocese of San Antonio in "praying for those affected by the recent severe flooding" and asking for God's protection over and comfort for the victims, their families, and first responders.
He continued: "We entrust the souls of those who passed to the mercy of our heavenly Father, and we seek the intercession of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, imploring her assistance in the rescue of those still missing."
St. Peter Catholic Church in Boerne, Texas, a parish near Kerrville that is organizing aid for the flood victims. Credit: Amira Abuzeid/CNA
Father Norm Ermis, pastor at St. Peter Catholic Church in Boerne, a town about 40 miles from Kerrville, said at the Mass on Sunday that the parish would be informed of how it could help flood victims in the coming week.
Ermis said he spends a lot of time on the Guadalupe River and was grieving with all who had lost loved ones.
San Antonio resident Bridie Chaudoir told CNA that she had almost sent her daughter to Camp Mystic in July, but she decided in the end to send her in August. Had she attended in July, she would have been in the Bubbles Inn cabin, which was washed away by the swiftly moving floodwaters and whose occupants are all believed to have perished.
Chaudoir's sons and nephews were rescued from Camp La Junta, also located in Hunt. Her son, Henry, 12, told CNA he prayed a decade of the rosary, the guardian angel prayer, and the St. Michael prayer the night before the flood.
She told CNA the Camp Mystic community's response to its grieving members has been "overwhelmingly beautiful."
Gov. Greg Abbott declared Sunday, July 6, as a day of prayer for the victims. President Donald Trump declared Kerr County a federal disaster area on July 6, and the White House Faith Office issued a statement that evening, saying on social media: "May God wrap his loving arms around all of those in Texas. Psalm 34:18: 'The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.'"
Mourners gather in the Church of the Holy Cross in Qassaa, Damascus, for the funeral of many who lost their lives in a terrorist attack at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Syria's capital on Sunday, June 22, 2025. / Credit: Mohammad Al-Rifai/ACI MENAWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 7, 2025 / 17:51 pm (CNA).Allies of the new Syrian government and other non-state actors have continued violence and discrimination against Christians, Druze, and Shia Muslims, according to a new report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).Syrian rebels, many of whom were affiliated with Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), toppled former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in late 2024. The report notes that HTS members, many of whom were foreign fighters, engaged in mass killings and other forms of persecution against religious minorities during the overthrow of Assad and have continued violations after taking control of the government.Syria's new presid...
Mourners gather in the Church of the Holy Cross in Qassaa, Damascus, for the funeral of many who lost their lives in a terrorist attack at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Syria's capital on Sunday, June 22, 2025. / Credit: Mohammad Al-Rifai/ACI MENA
Allies of the new Syrian government and other non-state actors have continued violence and discrimination against Christians, Druze, and Shia Muslims, according to a new report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
Syrian rebels, many of whom were affiliated with Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), toppled former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in late 2024. The report notes that HTS members, many of whom were foreign fighters, engaged in mass killings and other forms of persecution against religious minorities during the overthrow of Assad and have continued violations after taking control of the government.
Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, commanded HTS during the revolution. He was also previously a member of al-Qaeda. In addition to HTS, the report also noted that members of Turkish-backed political opposition and militias (TSOs) and other organizations that engaged in mass killings and religious liberty violations have been welcomed into high-ranking positions in the new Syrian government.
Despite these developments, the new Syrian government has vowed to protect religious liberty as it sets up its new government. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has sought to work with the new leadership and has lifted sanctions and removed HTS' designation as a terrorist organization.
The USCIRF is encouraging the Trump administration to impose conditions on sanction removals that require improvements in religious liberty. The report also encourages the U.S. government to impose targeted sanctions on people and organizations that continue violations of religious liberty.
USCIRF Commissioner Mohamed Elsanousi told CNA that the commission's primary concern for Syria's Christians and other religious minorities is "that the transitional authorities' actual policies and actions match their claims of supporting a religiously inclusive future for the country."
"The U.S. administration must condition its lifting of sanctions with clear measures so that the emerging government fully abandons its extremist past, extends equal protection to all religious minorities, and enshrines comprehensive religious freedom into Syria's laws and institutions," Elsanousi said.
Religious persecution and killings
The most egregious violence after the new government took control was waged against Alawite Muslims — a Shia sect to which Assad and many of his allies belonged — and against Druze — an Abrahamic religion that is separate from Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.
According to the report, unidentified rebels burned the homes of civilian Alawites in Latakia and waged an arson attack against an Alawite shrine in Aleppo last December. It also notes that men who may have been affiliated with the new government executed Alawites and members of the Twelver Shia sect in the Hama province.
The report notes in January and February, HTS loyalists conducted "door-to-door interrogations and select executions" of Alawite Muslims around the Mediterranean coast. In March, the report adds, "the murders escalated to full-blown sectarian massacres" of Alawites in Latakia and Tartus based on allegations of "pro-Assad remnants."
"Tallies put the confirmed death toll at between 1,700 and 2,246, with the caveat that the actual numbers might be much higher," the report states.
The report references additional reports of civilian massacres of Alawites "with no known links to the Assad regime" during that time frame. It states that persecutions against Alawites seem to have decreased since March but that as recently as May, there were reports of fighters who may have been affiliated with the government kidnapping Alawites.
Additionally, "a new wave of killings" against Druze began in April, according to the report. This includes "militant Islamist" supporters of the new government killing 134 people in a suburb of Damascus that month.
In March, Syriac Orthodox Christians who lived near the anti-Alawite violence reported that the Christian death toll was "three people," but other persecutions against Christians took place.
"Islamist militia members regularly intimidated and taunted Christians at checkpoints and looted the homes of Christians with no known links to the Assad regime," the report states.
The report notes that the new government has retained many HTS fighters, including "the most militant violators of religious freedom during the Syrian civil war," within the military. People who are associated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) hold high positions in the government as well.
For example, intelligence chief Anas Khattab is a former al-Qaeda commander. Abu Hatem Shaqra, who was given a high-level military position, personally participated in executions and other forms of religious persecution "such as recruitment of ISIS members and trafficking of Yazidi women and girls into sexual and domestic slavery," according to the report.
The future of Syria
In spite of these religious liberty violations, the report notes that the new government has stated its intent to be "inclusive of all Syrians, including religious and ethnic minorities."
The new government has taken credit for thwarting a planned ISIS attack against a Shia shrine and denounced an ISIS attack that killed 25 worshippers at Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus. It also held a one-day conference to speak with representatives of minority religions.
Alternatively, the new government intends to maintain HTS control for a transitional five-year period. It also notes that after the conference with the minority religions, the government expressed its intent to enshrine Islamic jurisprudence as "the major source of legislation." After the conference, it notes that the government only expressed its intent to safeguard Christians, Muslims, and Jews, but not other religions.
"The recent bombing of the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus and massacres earlier this year targeting Alawis in Syria's coastal areas serve as tragic reminders that these communities remain under serious threat of violence," Elsanousi said.
Jeff King, the president of International Christian Concern, told CNA the report "exposes the failure of Syria's transitional government … to protect its Christian minority."
"This illegitimate regime, composed of rebranded al-Qaeda and ISIS operatives, has done little to curb radical Islam's campaign to eradicate Christianity in Syria," he said. King called the bombing of Mar Elias Church in Damascus, which killed 25 Christians, "a stark example" of "ongoing persecution enabled by the government's inaction or complicity."
"The Catholic community worldwide must advocate for Syria's dwindling Christian population, which is now a fraction of its prewar size, and press the international community to reject the legitimacy of this jihadist-led government and demand robust protections for religious minorities," King emphasized.
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died at the age of 24 in 1925, is beloved by many Catholic young people today for his enthusiastic witness to holiness that reaches "to the heights." / Credit: Public domainVatican City, Jul 7, 2025 / 14:15 pm (CNA).The coffin holding the incorrupt body of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati will be in Rome for veneration during the Jubilee of Youth July 26 through Aug. 4.According to the Vatican's jubilee office, the coffin will be transferred from the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, in the Italian region of Piedmont, to the Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in Rome.Frassati, originally scheduled to be canonized on Aug. 3 during the Jubilee of Youth, will now be declared a saint by Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, Sept. 7, together with Blessed Carlo Acutis.Frassati's remains will be displayed in the Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in Rome until Aug. 4 so that they can be venerated by young people attending jubilee events July 28 throu...
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died at the age of 24 in 1925, is beloved by many Catholic young people today for his enthusiastic witness to holiness that reaches "to the heights." / Credit: Public domain
Vatican City, Jul 7, 2025 / 14:15 pm (CNA).
The coffin holding the incorrupt body of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati will be in Rome for veneration during the Jubilee of Youth July 26 through Aug. 4.
According to the Vatican's jubilee office, the coffin will be transferred from the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, in the Italian region of Piedmont, to the Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in Rome.
Frassati, originally scheduled to be canonized on Aug. 3 during the Jubilee of Youth, will now be declared a saint by Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, Sept. 7, together with Blessed Carlo Acutis.
Frassati's remains will be displayed in the Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in Rome until Aug. 4 so that they can be venerated by young people attending jubilee events July 28 through Aug. 3, when Pope Leo will celebrate the youth jubilee's closing Mass at the Tor Vergata University campus on the southeastern outskirts of Rome.
Frassati was born to a prominent family in Turin in 1901. He balanced a deep life of faith with active engagement in politics and service to the poor. He joined the Dominican Third Order, climbed Alpine peaks, and distributed food and medicine to the needy in the poorest parts of Turin.
This weekend, towns in northern Italy marked 100 years since Pier Giorgio Frassati's death on July 4, 1925, from polio.
When Frassati's coffin was opened during his beatification process in 1981, his body was found to be incorrupt, or preserved from the natural process of decay after death. According to Catholic tradition, incorruptible saints give witness to the truth of the resurrection of the body and the life that is to come.
The Guadalupe River, already spilling over its banks on July 4, 2025, (left), rose to a record breaking 47.4 feet on July 5 (right). / Credit: Sophie AbuzeidWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 7, 2025 / 15:04 pm (CNA).Two sisters who attended St. Rita Catholic School in Dallas were among the victims of the Texas Hill Country flash floods that have devastated parts of the state, the school confirmed in a statement on Saturday.Blair Harber, 13, and Brooke Harber, 11, were vacationing with their parents and grandparents on the Guadalupe River near Hunt, Texas. The flash flood raised the river more than 22 feet in half an hour in the early morning hours of July 4, dislodging and carrying away their cabin, in which they were staying with their grandparents.They were discovered in Kerrville, 15 miles from their cabin community, with their hands clasped together, according to reports.Their grandparents, Charlene and Mike Harber, have yet to be found.According to a message shared by their a...
The Guadalupe River, already spilling over its banks on July 4, 2025, (left), rose to a record breaking 47.4 feet on July 5 (right). / Credit: Sophie Abuzeid
Two sisters who attended St. Rita Catholic School in Dallas were among the victims of the Texas Hill Country flash floods that have devastated parts of the state, the school confirmed in a statement on Saturday.
Blair Harber, 13, and Brooke Harber, 11, were vacationing with their parents and grandparents on the Guadalupe River near Hunt, Texas. The flash flood raised the river more than 22 feet in half an hour in the early morning hours of July 4, dislodging and carrying away their cabin, in which they were staying with their grandparents.
They were discovered in Kerrville, 15 miles from their cabin community, with their hands clasped together, according to reports.
Their grandparents, Charlene and Mike Harber, have yet to be found.
According to a message shared by their aunt, Jennifer, on a GoFundMe page started for the Harber family, the girls' parents, who were staying five cabins away from their children, awoke at around 3:30 a.m. on Friday to the sound of the storm and were forced to break a window in their cabin to escape. The girls' father, RJ, had attempted to kayak to the girls' cabin, but the water was too high and he was forced to turn around.
The family reported receiving text messages from the girls sent as their cabin filled with water.
"Brooke texted my brother [her father], her grandmother and grandfather on Annie's side, saying 'I love you' at 3:30 a.m.," the girls' aunt wrote. "Blair and I had a conversation about God and heaven two weeks earlier. They had their rosaries with them."
The two girls will have a joint funeral at St. Rita's at a date that will be determined after their grandparents have also been found, according to the aunt's message.
"We are beyond devastated and so heartbroken," she concluded. "Prayers are much appreciated and what we needed at this time."
'Young women of deep faith'
"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," the school said in its statement. "Even in their last moments, they held tightly to each other, a powerful symbol of their lasting bond and their trust in God."
The two Catholic sisters, Blair and Brooke Harber, who lost their lives in the devastating Kerr County floods, were found with their hands locked together and, according to their aunt Jennifer Harber, had their rosaries with them—they were believers, and one of their favorite… pic.twitter.com/1TpgcLgM3Y
The school remembered Blair as having "the kindest heart" and for being an "an outstanding student," who was both "enrolled in advanced classes and actively involved in school activities."
Blair played several sports, including volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, and cheerleading. She was also a student ambassador, a member of the yearbook committee, and was involved in the school's speech and drama program.
"Brooke was an excellent student who brought joy and energy wherever she went," the school said of the younger of the two sisters. Like her sister, Brooke was also actively involved in sports, including soccer, basketball, volleyball, and lacrosse, and was "known for her spirit and determination." Brooke also loved speech and drama, "and had a particular gift for improv that brought smiles and laughter to those around her," the school said.
"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," the school said, adding: "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."
Background
Flash flooding in the Texas Hill Country began in the early hours of July 4. Heavy rainfall filled the creeks that emptied into the several rivers that wind through the normally arid hills known as the Texas Hill Country, located north and west of San Antonio and Austin.
The Guadalupe River near where the girls had been staying rose so quickly that the National Weather Service's evacuation orders were not issued in time to evacuate. The river swelled over 22 feet in half an hour around 4 a.m. on July 4, according to local officials, devastating parts of the towns of Hunt, Kerrville, and Comfort.
A girls' Christian summer camp in the area, Camp Mystic, has confirmed the deaths of 27 campers and counselors that had been missing, including an entire cabin of 8- and 9- year-old girls, according to local reports, bringing the overall death toll to at least 89 people. At least 850 people have been rescued. Ten campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic remain unaccounted for, according to CNN.
Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio said a memorial Mass for the victims on July 6 at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Kerrville.
President Donald Trump declared Kerr County a disaster area on July 6.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a disaster for 15 counties on July 4, deploying more than 500 first responders, 14 helicopters, boats, high water vehicles, and drones. Abbott pledged at a press conference in Kerrville on Friday that rescuers "will stop at nothing" to find every victim of the catastrophic flooding.
Rivers continued to rise through the holiday weekend. In the early hours of Saturday, July 5, the Guadalupe River rose to a record 47.4 feet in Bergheim, Texas, about 50 miles from Kerrville.
Pope Leo greets throngs of faithful in St. Peter's Square on June 11, 2025. / Credit: Vatican MediaACI Prensa Staff, Jul 7, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).The Office for Liturgical Celebrations at the Vatican has announced Pope Leo XIV's public Mass schedule for August and September, following his current stay through July 20 at Castel Gandolfo, the summer retreat of the pontiffs.On Aug. 3, Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to celebrate Mass for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time at Tor Vergata University in Rome as part of the Jubilee of Youth.Although he will be in the Vatican in August, he is also scheduled to celebrate Mass at the pontifical parish of Castel Gandolfo on Friday, Aug. 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and to pray the Angelus in the city's Liberty Square. On Sunday, Sept. 7, the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, he will celebrate the eagerly awaited Mass for the canonization of Blesseds Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis, which will take place ...
Pope Leo greets throngs of faithful in St. Peter's Square on June 11, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media
ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 7, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
The Office for Liturgical Celebrations at the Vatican has announced Pope Leo XIV's public Mass schedule for August and September, following his current stay through July 20 at Castel Gandolfo, the summer retreat of the pontiffs.
On Aug. 3, Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to celebrate Mass for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time at Tor Vergata University in Rome as part of the Jubilee of Youth.
Although he will be in the Vatican in August, he is also scheduled to celebrate Mass at the pontifical parish of Castel Gandolfo on Friday, Aug. 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and to pray the Angelus in the city's Liberty Square.
On Sunday, Sept. 7, the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, he will celebrate the eagerly awaited Mass for the canonization of Blesseds Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis, which will take place in St. Peter's Square at 10 a.m. local time.
A week later, on Sunday, Sept. 14, he will participate in the ecumenical commemoration of the new martyrs, witnesses to the faith, in St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica at 5 p.m. local time.
On Sunday, Sept. 28, he will celebrate the Mass for the Jubilee of Catechists in St. Peter's Square at 10 a.m. local time.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Camp Mystic alumnae sing songs after a memorial service on July 7, 2025, for the young campers who perished in floods last week. / Credit: Amira Abuzeid/CNA
