The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH), the oldest and largest Irish Catholic organization in the US, has condemned Wednesday's fatal shooting during Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Minneapolis city and public safety officials confirmed that on Wednesday morning, a shooter - since identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman - used three legally purchased firearms to fire through the windows of the Church of the Annunciation during a morning Mass service, which was marking the beginning of the school year.
Two Annunciation School students, aged 8 and 10, were killed in the shooting, while 14 other children, aged between 6 and 15, were injured. Additionally, three adult parishioners at the Mass were also injured.
Westman died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said.
Police said on Wednesday that "a motive is unclear," adding that "a suspected manifesto allegedly posted by the shooter was taken down by law enforcement."
FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI is investigating the shooting "as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics."
"Act of hate"
In a statement on Thursday, the AOH said it "condemns in the strongest possible terms the horrific act of hate that took the lives of two innocent children and left many others wounded during Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis.
"No American should ever face violence while practicing their faith.
"Our first thoughts and prayers are with the families who have suffered the unthinkable loss of their children, and with the parish community of Annunciation, whose sanctuary was violated and desecrated in the very act of worship. This must never happen again."
"Attack targeting Catholics"
The AOH statement continued: "We note with concern that much of the media coverage continues to stress that the ‘motive remains unclear.’
"While law enforcement is bound to pursue evidence before concluding motive, that should not dissuade anyone from naming this horrific act for what it is: a clear and unambiguous attack targeting Catholics gathered at Mass. To hesitate in saying so directly minimizes both the crime and the community that has suffered."
"Silent epidemic"
"Tragically, this atrocity is not an isolated event but part of a silent epidemic. Since May 2020, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has documented hundreds of attacks against Catholic churches: arson, desecration of the Eucharist, vandalism of sacred images, and assaults during worship, with over 40 already in 2025. These attacks span 43 states and the District of Columbia, with New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Denver, and Boston among the hardest hit.
"Yet, unlike the immediate condemnations we rightly hear when other faith communities are targeted, too often attacks against Catholics are dismissed as mere 'vandalism,' 'petty theft,' or the actions of a 'disturbed individual.' The last is particularly ironic: isn’t anyone who would attack a house of faith by definition 'disturbed'?
"The media bears its share of responsibility. Too often, Catholics are portrayed through tired, defamatory tropes, their beliefs and sacraments subjected to ridicule and mockery that would never be applied to any other faith community. This casual bias fuels an environment where violence and desecration are downplayed, if not tacitly excused.
"Accountability by the media is not optional; words shape perception, and perception enables prejudice."
America's history of anti-Catholicism
"It should not be forgotten that America has a long and sorrowful history of anti-Catholicism—from the days of Colonial Penal Laws, the Know-Nothings, and the Ku Klux Klan to the prejudices of our own time. It was to defend Catholic immigrants and their descendants from such hatred that the Ancient Order of Hibernians was founded over 180 years ago.
"That mission remains as urgent today.
"Attacks against Catholic churches can be a silent epidemic no longer; they must be denounced and confronted by federal, state, and local governments with the same vigor with which they rightfully pursue antisemitism and Islamophobia. Religious liberty is not a privilege to be selectively defended; it is a fundamental right for all Americans.
"The AOH stands with the victims, families, and parish community of Annunciation in Minneapolis. We mourn with them, we pray with them, and we will continue to raise our voices until they—and all people of faith—can worship in peace and safety."
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