I generally don’t like drawing attention to members of the Catholic hierarchy whom I know well, because I prefer their actions and words speak for themselves.

But I must say something publicly about the exemplary pastoral leadership of His Excellency Bernard A. Hebda in the wake of a horrific mass shooting that took place in his archdiocese on Wednesday.

Having known Archbishop Hebda for many years — as a seminary formator, a colleague at the Holy See, as my Ordinary in the Diocese of Gaylord, and as a dear friend — I am not surprised at his courage and faith. The people of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, I trust, need no further convincing of how blessed they are to have such a devoted shepherd.

But all of us, Catholic or not, have something to learn from his reaction to this unspeakable evil. For even in the throes of the immediate confusion and sorrow surrounding the attack, His Excellency made two corrections that were crucial for facing this unspeakable horror head on and the finding strength to carry on.

I realize Mayor Jacob Frey was distraught and angry at the “unthinkable tragedy” (as Chief of Police, Brian O’Hara, put it) that had just taken place in his city. It’s virtually impossible to come up with appropriate words in such a moment.

But, as the city’s leader, Mayor Frey should have thought twice before saying, “Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now,” because I would be absolutely shocked if anyone who offered him and his city thoughts and prayers really thought that it was only “about” that. Everybody knows it’s about infinitely more, and everybody knows the families and community are reeling from unspeakable grief.

My heart aches deeply for the school’s principal Matt DeBoer. We cannot credit him enough for the preparedness he instilled in his teachers, staff, and students for such an unimaginable assault. Again, the fact that Mr. DeBoer could stand up and say anything in the aftermath of the crime attests to his strong leadership.

So, because he’s not a politician, I completely excuse him for saying that “there’s nothing about today that can fill us with hope.” I know what he meant deep down, and, had he the time, I am sure he would have phrased his message more carefully.

Mr. DeBoer was referring to the school’s decision to highlight Jeremiah’s prophecy in chapter 29, verse 11: “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you … plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.”

He obviously meant that a 23-year-old arming himself with three guns and spraying bullets at innocent children and elderly Mass attendees was not in the plans of God, and he was right.

But then Archbishop Hebda steps up to the microphone. Never one to think of himself first, he acknowledges Principal DeBoer, Chief of Police O’Hara, and Mayor Frey, as well as pastor Father Dennis Zehren and Deacon Kevin Conneely.

Then he has the courage to say:

“I would never want to correct a principal, but Principal DeBoer said it wasn’t so clear where the source of hope would be. Brothers and Sisters, we have to be men and women of hope. Already, I’ve been receiving messages from all over our country promising prayers — and I think it’s the ‘prayers of the feet’ as well, Principal. That is for me a source of hope, just as we see families stepping forward to help those who have been impacted by this terrible tragedy. I’m very grateful that Principal DeBoer spoke about prayer.”

Then, as if on cue, the parish church bells actually start ringing.

He continues: “The bell in a Catholic church is always a call to prayer. So, it’s a reminder for us to be praying. And we have to recognize that it is through prayer and through the prayer of the feet — through that action — that we can indeed make a difference. That has to be the source of our hope.”

The Archbishop then shared a personal message of condolence, prayers, and the Apostolic Blessing of Pope Leo XIV, which, understandably, received more attention in the media than Hebda’s own words that I transcribed above.

Having written countless messages like the one His Holiness sent to the Archbishop and his flock, I can attest to the meticulous care given to their composition. But Hebda was speaking extemporaneously and from his heart, and we must never forget that he, not the pope, is the archdiocese’s primary pastor.

So, in just a few sentences, he gently corrected Mayor Frey’s malapropos underestimation of the thoughts and prayers coming in from around the globe, and Principal DeBoer’s misplaced suggestion that the tragedy was a hopeless situation.

One of the great frustrations I had working at the Holy See was watching one opportunity after another pass by when the Church and her leaders could have said something different from the rest of the world. The temptation is to simply repeat what any government leader, non-governmental organization, or social-media celebrity could say, the only difference being a slight Gospel spin.

But this strategy is insulting to the Gospel message. The Gospel is not a mere amplification of the human voice. It’s the divine voice breaking through when the human voice has nothing to say.

A human voice cannot say that even amid hideous violence there is room for prayer. A human voice cannot say that even amid ghastly evil there is room for hope.

Only a divine voice can deliver that message, and only a pastor attuned to that voice in daily prayer can channel that voice.

Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda is one such pastor.

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