SW News: The Holy Father has replied to the letters sent by the children who survived the Uvalde school shooting in USA’s Texas. The children who survived the massacre had sent letters to Pope Francis seeking his prayers and the missives also carried drawings.

It was the students who got transferred to Sacred Heart Catholic School in Uvalde who sent the letters. In the letter sent on behalf of the pope by Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra, the Vatican substitute for general affairs of the Secretariat of State, the pontiff appreciated the sentiments “which led them to share their stories and thoughts with him.”

Pope Francis also said that he was praying for all the children. Archbishop Edgar said that the pope “would remember the students, their families and all of those suffering from the act of violence in Uvalde”.

Among the children who penned letters were those who sustained gun injuries and kids who lost their friends. One child wrote to the pope asking him to pray for her friend who perished in the attack. “She was fun. We played on the trampoline. She is with Jesus. I miss her,” wrote one child.

The letter from the pope was addressed to Fr John Wall, the president of Catholic Extension, which is providing scholarships to those students. It was this faith-based NGO that forwarded the letters to the Vatican. The letter from the pope also mentions that the Holy Father is thanking the outfit for forwarding all the letters.

Based in Chicago, Catholic Extension provides succor to communities of believers in poor areas. It was the school’s librarian Sister Maria Luisa Aldape who collected the letters and sent them to the Vatican through Cardinal Blasé Cupich of Chicago, who is the chancellor of Catholic Extension.

It was on May 24 that an 18-year-old gunman entered Robb Elementary school and shot dead 19 children and two teachers. In the carnage, another 14 children and a teacher sustained injuries. It was at the Sacred Heart, which is two miles away, that the funeral Masses for 11 victims were held.