News from Diocese of Dallas; both bad and sad

 

North Texas Catholic priest arrested for indecency with a child

By Steven Rosenbaum

GARLAND – A Catholic priest is in the Garland Detention Center after police arrested him for two counts of indecency with a child.

Garland police said in a news release that they arrested 34-year-old Ricardo Reyes Mata on Monday, after they received reports of "inappropriate contact with two juvenile victims" at a residence in the city.

Reyes is a priest with the Catholic Diocese of Dallas, according to Garland PD. Reyes is not listed on the diocese website, but a spokesperson for the diocese told CBS News Texas he was working at the National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dallas. An archived biography page shows he was ordained in June of 2022, and was assigned to St. Jude Parish in Allen at the time.  

Garland PD says detectives are communicating with the Diocese of Dallas. The department also asks anyone with information about other potential victims to call 972-485-4840.

CBS News Texas received the following statement from the Diocese of Dallas:

The Diocese of Dallas was recently made aware of an allegation by a juvenile girl of inappropriate touching involving a priest. No inappropriate activity was reported to have occurred on diocesan property.

Upon learning of the allegation last week, diocesan officials immediately filed a report with Child Protective Services and law enforcement. The priest was immediately removed from all public ministry when the Diocese of Dallas learned of the allegation.

 "We are grateful for law enforcement's thorough response," said Bishop Edward J. Burns of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas. "Let us come together in prayer, respecting the dignity of all involved, seeking strength and guidance from our faith during this challenging time."

We take all allegations of misconduct seriously. At the Catholic Diocese of Dallas, the safety and well-being of everyone is of paramount importance. Anyone with information should call the Garland police department.  

Editor's note: This post was updated to clarify that Reyes was working until his arrest at the National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe. His previous assignment was St. Jude Parish in Allen.

Bishop of Dallas expresses unity and solidarity with families of those killed in Allen Texas in yet another mass shooting

 

Day after a gunman shot multiple people at the Allen Premium Outlets mall 

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Church in Dallas mourns victims of mass shooting at outlet mall in Allen

As the community of Dallas mourns the victims of yet another mass shooting killing 9 people including the gunman, Bishop Edward J. Burns expresses the solidarity of the local Catholic community to the families of the victims.

By Lisa Zengarini

Bishop Edward J. Burns of Dallas has joined in expressing closeness to the families of the victims of the mass shooting in Allen, Texas, on Saturday , May 6, the latest in a long row in the United States.

Eight people, including a child, were killed and another seven were wounded  by a gunman shortly after 3:30 p.m. at the Allen Premium Outlets, a Dallas-area outlet mall, before he was killed in turn by a police officer who happened to be on the scene.

According to local authorities, victims range in age from 5 to 61 years old.

Solidarity with families of victims  

Addressing the faithful “with a heavy heart” , Bishop Burns said the “Catholic community is in unity and solidarity with the families who have lost loved ones in this tragedy”.

“Like all of you, I am deeply troubled by the shooting in the community of Allen and the senseless disregard for life that has occurred in our community”, he said in a statement in the wake of the massacre, asking God “to bring comfort and strength to all affected by this tragic event” and “to comfort the local community, the victims and their families”.

We must pray for peace within our communities.  And, we must have the courage to stand up to the forces of evil and the culture of death.

The shooting in Allen came just hours after an SUV driver seemingly intentionally slammed into a group of Venezuelan migrants waiting at a bus stop outside a migrant shelter in the border city of Brownsville, Texas, killing 8 people,  and injuring 10 others.

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28/03/2023

Church in Nashville mourns victims of yet another US mass shooting

The latest in a series of mass gun violence in the US

It is the latest in an apparently endless series of mass gun violence across the United States, targeting schools, supermarkets, workplaces and other public venues and reigniting each time the national debate on gun reform which so far hasn’t produced any result.

US Bishops have also joined the debate repeatedly calling for reasonable gun control measures, echoing Pope Francis’ pleas that “It is time to say ‘no more’ to the indiscriminate trafficking of weapons.”

In June 2022 the chairs of four committees of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a statement urging all members of Congress to action that “addresses all aspects of the crisis, including mental health, the state of families, the valuation of life, the influence of entertainment and gaming industries, bullying, and the availability of firearms.”

At least 191 mass shootings since 1 January

Since the beginning of the year the United States have recorded at least 191 mass shootings (though the definition of mass shooting is still being debated).

The most deadly incident to date remains the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, when a 64-year-old gunman opened fire on a crowd attending a music festival killing 60 people.

Gun-related deaths caused by mass shootings add to those caused by murders, suicides, domestic violence, as well as accidents.

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07/04/2023

Chicago parishes co-sponsor Gun Buyback Events to stem gun violence

Guns leading cause of death for US children and teens

On average, the US has seen more than 39,000 gun deaths a year since 2014, and as of 8 May 2023 over 14,000 people  have died in gun-related incidents this yearr,  according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.

Recent data also show that guns are the leading cause of death for US children and teens and in 2022 more minors were shot in the US than in any other year on record.

Pope Francis has frequently denounced gun trafficking, including in his 2015 address to a joint session of Congress. “Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society?” he asked U.S. lawmakers. “Sadly, the answer, as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood.”

2 Texas Bishops offer prayers and condolences for the shooting at White Settlement Texas

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  Police and fire department officials in White Settlement, Texas, surround West Freeway Church of Christ Dec. 29. A gunman killed two parishioners there that same day. (CNS photo by Yffy Yossifor/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/TNS/ABACAPRESS.COM via Reuters)

Texas bishops offer prayers in wake of fatal church shooting

Catholic Courier    |    12.30.2019

Category: World and Nation

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WASHINGTON (CNS) — Two Texas Catholic bishops offered words of condolence and prayers to the members and families of the victims of a church shooting in which two worshippers were killed.

Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio and Bishop Edward J. Burns of Dallas said they prayed that sin and evil would not overtake society.

A gunman killed two people Dec. 29 during Sunday services at West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas, before members of the congregation fatally shot him, authorities said.

Police were called to the church about eight miles west of Fort Worth before 11 a.m. after two members of the church’s volunteer security team opened fire on the gunman, The Dallas Morning News reported.

“My heart goes out to the victims killed and wounded in the shooting this morning” at the church, Archbishop Garcia-Siller said in a statement Dec. 29. “My prayers are with all who were traumatized by this senseless tragedy.

“That this act of violence occurred in a house of worship unfortunately no longer shocks our senses. At this time of bitter division and polarization, we must unite in common purpose and commitment to save our society. We can do no less,” he said.

Bishop Burns offered “heartfelt prayers for those affected by the shootings” in a tweet posted late Dec. 29.

“As people of faith, we know that sin, evil, suffering, and death will not have the last word,” he added.

The names of the victims and the gunman had not been released as of the morning of Dec. 30. But the daughter of one of the victims told KXAS-TV that her father Anton “Tony” Wallace had died.

Tiffany Wallace said she ran to her father after he was shot.

“I was just holding him, telling him I loved him and that he was going to make it,” she said.

Two people were treated at the church for minor head injuries they received as they dived for cover during the shooting, according to Marcara Trusty, spokeswoman for MedStar ambulance service, the newspaper reported.

A recording of the live stream of the service showed a gunman approach a man standing in the back of the church, pull out a long-barrel gun and fire it, striking two worshippers. A member of the church’s security immediately returned one shot, downing the gunman.

The security team member was identified as Jack Wilson, a candidate for Hood County precinct commissioner. Wilson discussed his response in a posting on his campaign’s Facebook page.

“I just want to thank all who have sent their prayers and comments on the events of today. The events at West Freeway Church of Christ put me in a position that I would hope no one would have to be in, but evil exists and I had to take out an active shooter in church,” Wilson wrote in the post.

“I am very sad in the loss of two dear friends and brothers in CHRIST, but evil does exist in this world and I and other members are not going to allow evil to succeed,” he continued, describing himself as head of the church’s security team. “Please pray for all the members and their families in this time. Thank you for your prayers and understanding.”

Law enforcement authorities and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick praised the security team members who stopped the gunman, calling their response “heroic.”

Texas law allows individuals the right to carry concealed weapons in churches.

The FBI said late Dec. 29 that the gunman had had been arrested previously in several communities, but they declined to offer more details about his background. Media reported that the man had roots in the area and that he may have been transient.