A CATHOLIC RESPONSE TO GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA

The most recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas has left us shocked, confused, heart-broken and angry. Tragedies such as this, and others in the past, can leave us feeling lost or helpless, wanting to offer our thoughts and prayers, but knowing we need to do something more. As Catholics, prayer is only meaningful when it changes our own hearts and leads us into action. We cannot have one without the other.

This page offers resources to help you learn, share, and respond to the shooting and other acts of gun violence in America.

Community Resources for Texas Tragedy

Talking to Children about the Shooting

Resources

Resources in Response to the Robb Elementary School Shooting In response to the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde Texas, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network has developed resources to help children, families, educators, and communities navigate what they are seeing and hearing, acknowledge their feelings, and find ways to cope together. These resources include: Talking to Children about the Shooting Helping Youth After a Community Trauma: Tips for Educators (En Español) Talking to Children: When Scary Things Happen  (En Español) Talking to Teens about Violence (En Español) Tips for Talking to Students about Violence For Adults: Coping After Mass Violence For Teens: Coping After Mass Violence (En Español) Helping School-Age Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers (En Español) Helping Teens with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers(En Español) Helping Young Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers (En Español) Guiding Adults in Talking to Children about Death and Attending Services After a Crisis: Helping Young Children Heal Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event Once I Was Very Very Scared – children’s book for young children  After the Injury—website for families with injured children Health Care Toolbox—website for pediatric health providers working with injured children Pause-Reset-Nourish (PRN) to Promote Wellbeing (En Español) (for responders) Psychological First Aid The NCTSN also has resources for responders on Psychological First Aid (PFA; En Español). PFA is an early intervention to support children, adolescents, adults, and families impacted by these types of events. PFA Mobile and the PFA Wallet Card (En Español) provide a quick reminder of the core actions. The PFA online training course is also available on the NCTSN Learning Center. Additional PFA resources for schools include: Psychological First Aid for Schools (PFA-S) – Field operations guide Providing PFA-S: For Health-Related Professionals – handout Providing PFA-S: For Principals and Administrators – handout Providing PFA-S: For School Support Staff – handout Providing PFA-S: For Teachers – handout From the National Mass Violence and Victimization Resource Center (mobile app to assist with recovery after mass violence)Transcend Rebuild your Community: Resources for Community Leaders·          Media Guidelines for Homicide Family Survivors·          Timeline of Activities to Promote Mental Health Recovery·          Self-Help: Resources for Survivors·          E-learning Courses: Trainings for Clinicians·          Resources for Victim Assistance Professionals From the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress at the Uniformed Services University Grief Leadership: Leadership in the Wake of Tragedy Leadership Communication: Anticipating and Responding to Stressful Events·          Coping with Stress Following a Mass Shooting·          Disaster Helpline SAMHSA has a Disaster Distress Helpline – call or text 1-800-985-5990 (for Spanish, press “2”) to be connected to a trained counselor 24/7/365.