About thirty years ago, when I did not have a full-time parish assignment, I spent much of the summer traveling to cities and towns where the Servite Friars had been invited to give the annual mission appeal on behalf of our Servite missions in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. Often the pastor would use the mission appeal weekend as an opportunity to take vacation time. In one small town in Iowa, the absent pastor had left a note on the dining room table in the rectory, “Please don’t lock the door. I don’t know where the key is.” This harkens back to a time when many people left their front door unlocked. Many Catholic churches were open all day long without any concern about safety or security. Unfortunately that is not Chicago in 2026. Our neighbor churches of St. Peter and Holy Name Cathedral do remain open all day, but with professional security guards on duty. The attack on a Catholic church in Minneapolis during an all-school Mass awakened everyone to the very real possibility that a mass shooting could happen anywhere, including our own worship space.

In response to this general concern, the Archdiocese of Chicago scheduled a series of presentations on Security and Preparedness Training. About 30 of us attended one of these sessions on January 14 at St. Stanislaus. In the first part of the meeting, Kaitlyn Weitzel, Director of Security for the Archdiocese, offered practical suggestions about security for church properties. Based on her recommendations, we are doing well in certain areas. We do have security cameras inside as well as outside our property (although they are not always monitored), and we do have two levels of security to enter the parish office /rectory (A visitor must be “buzzed in” twice). To enter the church when the doors are locked, the visitor (visible on security camera) must also be buzzed in. She spoke about a “security film” that holds glass together when someone tries to break through glass doors—something worth looking into.

Our biggest security deficit is not having a regular team of ushers or greeters at every weekend Mass, who remain at least close to the back of church throughout Mass and can intercept someone who enters the building who may be having mental problems or who is not otherwise intent on worship. Kaitlyn calls this initiating the hello (as in “Hello. How can I help you.”). We need to renew our efforts in this area, not only from the point of being secure but also for being welcoming. Some Masses have coverage. Others do not. The other point that Kaitlyn made is that all of us need to be attentive of suspicious activity on our church property. Who is walking around, checking doors, taking pictures of entryways, etc.? She also emphasized the importance of reporting incidents to the Archdiocese as well as to the police (if applicable). Just as break-ins at businesses in a particular area sometimes follow a pattern, so too do break-ins at churches. Do not hold open a secure door for someone you do not recognize. We also need to develop a safety plan, which would cover not only criminal activity but also what to do in case of fire or smoke or other catastrophe that would require us to evacuate the building quickly.

In the second part of the program, a representative of the Department of Homeland Security focused specifically on active shooters like the one in Minnesota. He defined a mass shooting as an effort to kill as many people as possible at random. This is distinguished form gang killings and domestic disputes that may involve multiple fatalities but are aimed at specific individuals. By this definition, mass shootings are extremely rare, but come with tremendous consequences. While the same safety measures apply to mass shooters as to someone breaking into a donation box, the key is getting help to the individual prior to the attack. Most mass shooters do not just “snap”; they have put in considerable time researching and developing their plan and often “leak” their intentions. They have been building a grievance against society for a long time and do not have common coping skills. The only way to overcome a grievance is massive retaliation. He asked us to pay attention to coworkers or family members whose behavior, moods, or interactions have changed. The other point that he made was how to react to a mass shooting. The key response is “Don’t freeze.” Based on circumstances, either run, hide, or fight.

This is all sobering stuff to consider only one month after the birthday of the Prince of Peace. It is a sad reminder of how far we are from God’s vision for our world and the vast social. economic, mental health, and spiritual needs in our country. It is also a reminder that we have a role to play, not just in protecting ourselves, but in offering Christ’s light to the world.

                       Fr. Joe