United in Prayer
August 28, 2025
Dear Cretin-Derham Hall Community:
Yesterday, we held our Opening School Mass. This is our annual Mass where we honor the start of every school year - together - in a holy space, blessing our new students, new faculty, new staff and new school year. We celebrate our community and belonging. It is also how the Cretin-Derham Hall community responds to tragic events.
Wednesday’s senseless violence at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis has touched the deepest parts of our hearts and souls. We are community with the Annunciation School and Church and we know that many of us have family and friends who were impacted. Our prayers go out to all those affected and the first responders who heroically served our community. As Father Patrick Kennedy ‘69 shared in his homily, acknowledging the terrible chaos and tragedy that happened this week, “the strength and power of love was a commanding story that brought hope, comfort, and care to help those who need it most.”
We must find our own ways of being a light to those in darkness.
The Sisters of Saint Joseph invite us to act by loving God and the dear neighbor without distinction. The Brothers of the Christian Schools remind us why: we love God and our dear neighbors because we are all in the holy presence of God. God connects us all and through God we all belong.
Lastly, the safety and well-being of our campus community remains paramount.
As these tragic events unfolded, we updated our students, faculty and staff and prayed together. While there is no threat to our campus related to Wednesday’s shooting, we did enact several enhanced security measures in partnership with the St. Paul Police. In addition, the safety training and drills that were already scheduled for next week will occur as planned. We will also review our safety audit study and implementation timeline in the days ahead. Our counselors are available for students and faculty/staff.
May God bless the Annunciation community and all our dear neighbors with comfort and strength.
In peace,
Jeb Myers, President Mona Passman, Principal