Camp Mystic has become emblematic of the July 4th catastrophic flash flood of the Guadalupe river in the Texas Hill Country of Kerr County which, to date, has claimed more than 100 lives. Torrential rainfall in Central Texas also caused the Lampasas, San Saba, and Frio rivers to surge to life threatening heights. As of this writing, at least 132 men, women, and children have perished statewide.
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. We pray for them. – Pope Leo XIV, Sunday Angelus of 6 July, 2025
We pray by intentionally placing our petitions for our suffering brothers and sisters on the Altar of God in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass – the highest form of prayer and worship.
When we are intimately united with Jesus in reception of the Most Blessed Sacrament – the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus – we are also united with the Mother of God and the Communion of Saints in all of Heaven who join us in prayer with our Holy Guardian Angel before the Throne of God.
We can even offer our Holy Communion for the intentions of those for whom we offer our prayers.
We pray as a Church…
And as a Church, we are not powerless in the face of suffering. We are a people of hope. A people of prayer. A people of action. So what do we do now? We pray – especially for those who have died, for the families who mourn, and for all those carrying invisible wounds. We commend them to the mercy of God and entrust them to the maternal care of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of the Americas, who never abandons her children. We support one another – in word, in deed, and with compassion. Look around you. Someone near you is hurting. Be their help, their neighbor. Be the presence of Christ to them. We move forward in faith—not ignoring our pain, but carrying it with Christ, allowing it to transform us and deepen our trust in Him. As St. Paul says, “We do not grieve like those who have no hope” (1 Thess 4:13). Our hope is real. Our Savior lives. – Fr. Steven Gamez (Excerpt: Statement on Flooding in Texas Hill Country)
Mary is our Beacon of Hope in whom and through whom the light and love of Christ, our Savior, shines brightly to pierce the darkness of calamity and catastrophe.
…and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us. (Romans 5:5)
No one understands our profound grief more than Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, who mystically participated in the agony of her Son, our Savior, on the Cross.
When the reckless nature of fallen man or nature’s unbridled fury batters our vessel, there is Mary, our Stella Maris – our North Star – to guide us through the storms of life to the refuge of Her Immaculate Heart and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)
During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste… (Luke 1:39)
Traveling to the Texas Hill Country is not possible for most pilgrims but as members of the Mystical Body of Christ in this Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025, we can, like Mary, set out in haste as spiritual pilgrims – samaritans of hope and help – while rediscovering the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
We can contribute here to the ongoing relief efforts of feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, and clothing the naked.
Catholics around the world can make a Jubilee pilgrimage to any designated Cathedral, church or shrine in their diocese and offer the gift of a plenary indulgence for the souls of the deceased in purgatory, particularly those who perished in the floods.
Grief and suffering does not end when the flood waters recede and the news media cameras move on to the next story.
For that reason, we must set up a spiritual tent in the Texas Hill Country and intentionally remain there to offer our continued prayerful support.
Understand that your spiritual tent can be set up anywhere around the world in the midst of crisis.
These tents are where we pray the Most Holy Rosary with our Blessed Mother, as in the upper room, for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the grace of perseverance. We ask that Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted, would wrap her mantle of consolation, healing, and hope around the hearts of all her children.
United in prayer, our lamp shines brightly to usher our brothers and sisters out of the darkness of the tomb into the light of Hope in the Resurrection of Christ, our Lord.
For you will surely have a future, and your hope will not be cut off. (Proverbs 23:18)
Cile Steward is the only child who remains missing and unaccounted for from the July 4th flood.
As reported by Ryan Wolf, news anchor at Fox San Antonio in Texas, her family is sharing their grief, gratitude, and a plea to keep searching.
Here is their August 4th statement:
© 2025 Brian Kravec
Brian is a cradle Catholic, husband and father. He’s a writer, speaker, and the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Possibility Productions, a 501(c)(3) faith event evangelization apostolate in service of the Body of Christ.
