Editor’s note: Deacon Kevin Conneely, whose ministry includes serving at Annunciation in south Minneapolis, wrote this reflection for The Catholic Spirit about the Day of Remembrance at the parish and school where a tragic shooting occurred Aug. 27, 2025.
On Aug. 27, 2026, one year after the tragic shooting at Annunciation, members of our parish and its school came together for a Day of Remembrance. The planning committee included many elements: gathering, prayer, service and communion. This was an effort to give everyone the space they needed to approach the reality of our loss, our grief, our journey so far and our resilience.
The community effort started that morning by gathering in prayer and taking time for reflection on campus. Then we “moved our feet” by engaging in various acts of service outside the parish throughout the day. We reconvened in the evening for an outdoor Mass and dinner. The day ended with an outdoor candlelight procession to the front of the Church to pray the rosary together at 9 p.m. We remembered what was lost, and we honored the lives of 10-year-old Harper Moyski and 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, who died in the shooting. We also remembered who we are and that God is with us, always.
As the deacon who had experienced the tragedy personally one year before, I was uncertain what the Day of Remembrance would mean for me. But as the day unfolded, God was present in so many ways and so many moments. In this brief reflection, I will name just four.
The first moment happened in an unexpected place: the Minnesota State Fair — right next to Sweet Martha’s Cookie stand. I had to get to the WCCO radio booth before the gates opened at 7 a.m. for an interview about the Day of Remembrance and specifically about the financial generosity Annunciation continues to receive through the Hope and Healing Fund. There I was on the first day of the Great Minnesota Get Together, talking on air about how nearly 10,000 donations (so far) were being put to work to help Annunciation and so many impacted individuals heal from the 8/27 tragedy. Amid the anticipation of food, crowds, rides and exhibits at the fair, I felt a somber tinge and an urgency to get back to Annunciation. In that moment, I did not want to be caught up in the annual Minnesota celebration. I was anxious to see and feel what God had in store for a decidedly different, faith-focused kind of get-together.
A second moment that brought home to me that God is with us happened at 8:26 a.m. At the conclusion of our brief morning prayer service there was a moment of silence. No one spoke. There followed the tolling of our church bells, at the very minute when the shooting had started a year ago that took the lives of Harper and Fletcher and wounded so many others.
Standing in the August sunshine with hundreds of others near the Church doors, I listened — actually listened — to the bells. Their ringing carried a cadence of one loud and deep ring followed by a higher, lighter ring. With my eyes closed, the bells sounded like a continuous call-and-repeat. I heard them as a prayer. The louder, stronger bell was God’s call to us to follow and to trust in him. The softer, smaller bell was our human response. As I heard this repeated call-and-repeat sequence, I thought of Mary’s “yes” at the Annunciation. God is always calling us from on high. Even in our broken, fallen world, we have to listen, trust God and respond as we are able.
A third “God is with us” moment happened when Father Dennis Zehren, pastor of Annunciation, joined by Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Bishop Kevin Kenney, celebrated Mass with about 600 people in the Annunciation parking lot. One of my roles as deacon at Mass is to receive the gifts brought to the altar. As I made my way to do so, I caught sight of the Forchas family coming forward with the bread and wine. One year ago, their daughter, Sophia, had been critically injured and for many weeks fought for her life. She did so with the support of excellent medical care and endless prayers for a miracle. And now, one year later, here walked Sophia, a smiling miracle surrounded by her family, to present not just bread and wine but indeed her own life as an answered prayer and a gift from God.
A fourth moment that made my Day of Remembrance unforgettable happened only minutes later during the Eucharistic prayer when Father Zehren raised the Host high over his head. I looked intently at the Host, framed by blue skies, as he said the words, “Do this in memory of me.” At that moment, I heard the not-too-distant sound of a single siren. With Christ now truly present in our midst, nearby members of an emergency response team were on their way to help someone in need. This moment reminded me that sirens will continue to sound in south Minneapolis, and the police, EMTs, medical and fire professionals will continue to answer the call. So will we at Annunciation continue to come together to remember and to listen for and answer God’s call. And we will ask God, in the words of Zechariah from Luke’s Gospel, to “guide our feet into the way of peace” (Lk 1:79).
