Catholics mourn, offer support, as Texas flood's catastrophic death toll rises

(OSV News) -- Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott declared Sunday, July 6 a day of prayer throughout the state, as the death toll from catastrophic flooding July 4 has now risen to at least 82 people as of July 7, including 28 children in Kerr County. More than 40 people remain missing.

A search remains underway for at least 10 girls and a camp counselor still missing from Camp Mystic, a Christian, girls-only sleep away camp in Hunt, Texas. The camp's director, Richard "Dick" Eastland, perished while trying to save campers from the deluge.

"Texans are known for their faith, strength, and resilience," said Abbott, who is Catholic. "Even as floodwaters raged, neighbors rushed in to rescue, comfort, and bring hope. In times of loss, we turn to God for comfort, healing, and strength. I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday -- for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines."

The state received prayers from Rome as Pope Leo XIV spoke of the horrific events at his Sunday Angelus talk.

"I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters, who were at the summer camp, in the disaster caused by flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States,” he said, adding, “We pray for them."

The Archdiocese of San Antonio asked for the intercession of St. Anthony of Padua for "our communities in need." In a social media post, it prayed for "families who have lost loved ones, homes, or livelihoods due to the recent flooding in the Hill Country, that they may find strength and healing through Christ."

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston posted prayers in English and Spanish for those affected by the flooding saying, "in this time of uncertainty and sorrow, we unite ourselves to the Good Shepherd and ask for His protection and comfort over the victims, families, and first responders. 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."

Among the dead were two sisters from St. Rita's Catholic Church in Dallas, Blair and Brooke Harber, 13 and 11 years old. The girls were camping with their grandparents along the Guadalupe River. According to a GoFundMe for the family, the girls were known to love religion class and had their rosaries with them on the trip. The sisters' bodies were found 15 miles away with their hands clasped together.

The girls' parents were in a separate cabin and were able to survive the flood, but their grandparents were still missing as of July 7.

"Please keep the Harber family in your prayers during this time of profound grief. May our faith, our love, and our St. Rita community be a source of strength and comfort in the days ahead," St. Rita's pastor, Father Joshua J. Whitfield, said in a message to the church community.

Notre Dame Catholic Church in Kerrville, where Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio celebrated a July 6 Mass following the tragedy, has been a hub of both material and spiritual support for the devastated community. The outpouring of support has been so great that the church has paused collection of food, water, clothes and cleaning supplies, although financial donations are still being accepted.

"We were overwhelmed by the amount of support that has poured in over the last two days," the parish said in a July 6 Facebook post, which included pictures of dozens of cases of bottled water, paper products, shelf-stable food, diapers and cleaning supplies.

The parish has also announced a nightly rosary, which will be prayed July 7-11 at 6:30 p.m., for flood victims, families still searching for loved ones, first responders and volunteers.

"All are invited, parishioner or not, Catholic or not, to join us" in prayer, said the parish.