Getting Killed While Praying to God, Why?

The horrific attack at Annunciation Catholic School in the U.S. forces us to confront one of faith's most agonising questions: why does God permit evil to strike those gathered in His name? Two innocent children, aged just 8 and 10, lost their lives not in some distant conflict or accident, but whilst participating in Holy Mass—the most sacred act of Catholic worship. Their final moments were spent in prayer, surrounded by classmates and parishioners, in what should have been the safest sanctuary on earth. The very place where Catholics believe Christ becomes present in the Eucharist became a scene of unspeakable violence.

This atrocity echoes throughout Christian history, from the martyrs fed to lions whilst proclaiming their faith, to modern-day attacks on churches worldwide. Yet Scripture itself grapples with this mystery—Christ Himself was murdered whilst fulfilling His Father's will, and His followers were warned they would face persecution. The Psalms cry out repeatedly: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Even our Lord experienced this darkness on the Cross. Such events inevitably turn cynical souls further away from the Almighty, with many asking whether He truly cares or even exists at all. But this horror should instead drive us deeper into the mystery of faith—not away from God, but towards Him, recognising that malice is precisely what it is: a violation of divine design, perpetrated by human free will turned towards darkness.

What emerges from Minneapolis, however, is not just devastation but holiness. Teachers became heroes, protecting young ones with their own bodies. Older students shielded younger classmates. Nothing can take away the unbearable grief of parents who kissed their little ones goodbye that morning never expecting it to be their final farewell, but even in this bleakest hour, the faithful immediately turned to prayer and mutual support rather than despair. In these responses, we glimpse something profound: whilst Our Father may not prevent every act of wickedness, He transforms even the most harrowing moments through human love and sacrifice. Those two precious souls died whilst engaged in worship—they passed from earthly liturgy to heavenly glory in an instant. Their teachers' courage, collective solidarity, and worldwide prayers now offered for Minneapolis all testify that malevolence, however brutal, cannot extinguish the light of Christ that burns in faithful spirits.