Religion · Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN Metro · August 31, 2026
One year after Minneapolis church shooting, pastor reflects on healing
The Mesabi Tribune reported on Father Dennis Zehren, pastor of Annunciation Church and School in Minneapolis, marking one year since a gunman fired dozens of rounds through the church's stained glass windows, an attack that critically injured students including Sophia Forchas. Zehren, who began his pastorate the same week as the shooting, said his old office was left "peppered with bullet holes" and had to be abandoned. He described a shift in his preaching from initial reassurance to a deeper focus on Scripture's teaching on suffering, citing Romans: believers are called to "weep with those who weep." Zehren, who lives on campus as the first resident pastor there in over 30 years, said he hopes his presence gives children a sense of security. The school's theme this year, "Guide Our Feet into the Way of Peace," reflects an effort to teach students to actively pursue peace rather than treat it as passive. No new threat or policy change was reported.
Source: Mesabi Tribune
Why Bible-Believing Christians Should Care
This is a report of pastoral care following real violence against a Christian community, and Christians everywhere should grieve with those who suffered this attack and pray for the injured, including Sophia Forchas. Readers should note that Father Zehren's reflections are offered from a Catholic sacramental framework, which this publication does not treat as equivalent to the biblical gospel of salvation through faith in Christ alone. Even so, the call to "weep with those who weep" is sound biblical instruction, and the resilience of children and staff facing trauma inside a place of worship is a sobering reminder that churches and Christian schools remain vulnerable to violence and need real security planning alongside prayer.
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. — Romans 12:15
Share this alert
From the book
We do not defend the church to save an institution. We defend it because it is the Bride of Christ. The gates of hell will not prevail against it, and that promise is not a reason for passivity. It is a call to arms.
— Chapter 17, “The Mandate of Courage”
Get the BookKnow where you stand
The free 4-minute assessment identifies your mountain and your institution’s capture phase — so alerts like this one arrive matched to where you actually stand.
Facing this yourself? Ask. Describe what is happening and get what the book, Scripture, and the law of your state say, with the exact words to use. Your first one is free.