As many in Kerrville, Texas, rushed to find news of missing loved ones or grappled with losing their homes following catastrophic flooding, San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller was among the faith leaders present to offer prayers and support.
OSV News spoke with the archbishop July 5 about his efforts to respond to the devastation left by the historic flooding that has left at least 50 dead, while more than 20 young girls are still missing from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp in Hunt, Texas.
Following the catastrophic flooding, at least 20 girls are unaccounted for from Camp Mystic, a Christian, girls-only sleep away camp in Hunt, Texas.
The camp along the Guadalupe River was evacuated as the area received at least 10 inches of rain. The rain on the morning of July 4 caused the river to rise nearly 30 feet in 45 minutes.
The archbishop went to Kerrville July 4 and spoke with families affected by the flooding, including one mother whose 9-year-old daughter was still missing from Camp Mystic. He visited a designated site serving the families searching for their loved ones, and he encountered many people there who were scared and who welcomed prayers as they sought answers.
The archbishop also visited Notre Dame Catholic Church in Kerrville, “one of four sites that the city has selected to be centers for refuge, for care, for help,” he said.
“Catholic Charities was present, bringing food, clothes, hygiene articles, water,” Archbishop García-Siller told OSV News, adding that they “were able to place cots there because families have been evacuated and some families also have lost their house or their trailer so they will need a place to stay.”
Driving to the area, the archbishop asked himself what God was “asking of me in this situation, so that I would be useful,” to those facing fear and loss, but he said his focus quickly changed when he arrived from wondering how he could best be helpful to simply being present to those who were suffering.
He said in these situations, it’s important to “let yourself be touched with the reality” of the moment and “just to be” with people and attentive to their needs as well as offering prayer.
“In my case, it’s calling upon the Holy Spirit to guide me to know how to be present, not just to them in general, but to this individual,” he said.
“A lot of young parents were there, very young and they were coming from different places too,” he said. “This is not an issue just for the San Antonio Archdiocese, which is part of it, but no, there were people from Houston, from Austin, from other states.”
He added that the flooding will have a long-lasting impact on the community.
“I was very involved with what happened in Uvalde, Texas, with the killing of 19 children and two teachers, three years ago, and we’re still dealing with that,” he said. Following the floods, the archbishop said despite the cause being different, “the fact is the same: lives are missing,” and “the families are going through a lot.”
Archbishop García-Siller celebrated Mass July 6 at Notre Dame Church, which he sees as an opportunity to be with the people and accompany them as they continue to deal with the impact of the lives and homes lost.
In these moments, he said, it is important “to recognize that God wants to work in us, in this very difficult time,” and we should “open ourselves to believe – that will lead us in time to have hope.” In the meantime, he said, he said that every person wanting to help can “make a choice to love.”
He said that while the area has plenty of resources for the time being, he encouraged the faithful to empathize with and pray for those who so quickly and unexpectedly lost their homes and family members.
The archbishop said there aren’t easy answers or quick fixes for tragic situations like “the family who loses their child at a young age and especially like this, totally unexpected.”
“That’s why we are called to do something, to be present and we find out with God’s grace how we are contributing for the well-being of the people,” he said, adding that there are “many other aspects besides the material needs that are being addressed, and we’ll continue addressing.”
Archbishop García-Siller said people “should not be indifferent” when they hear of such tragedies. And he praised those who want to help and asked that people use this as an opportunity to better understand the suffering of others, adding “it is a contribution if they pray.”
