The Gloucester Township Police Department from New Jersey has traveled to Minnesota to offer comfort and support to parishioners affected by the recent tragic Catholic school shooting in Minneapolis.
On the morning of August 27, a gunman opened fire outside Annunciation Catholic Church, leaving two children—an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old—dead, and injuring more than a dozen others. The church community has been left in shock and grief as they try to come to terms with the devastating loss.
To help the community cope, Gloucester Township Police Chief David Harkins arranged for the department’s Community Resource K-9 and Crisis Response Canines (CRC) team to visit Annunciation Catholic Church. The decision came after Harkins coordinated with Bishop Joseph Williams, who leads the Diocese of Camden in New Jersey but originally comes from the Archdiocese of Minneapolis-St. Paul. Because of his personal ties to the area, Bishop Williams felt a deep connection to the tragedy and helped facilitate the visit.
Bishop Williams explained that he once lived and worked at another parish located only a few miles from Annunciation Catholic Church. For him, the shooting feels deeply personal. “The loss hits very close to home,” he said, sharing his grief with the community.
The Crisis Response Canines team is made up of specially trained dogs and handlers who provide emotional support to people in moments of crisis. Their mission is to bring comfort, calm, and companionship to those struggling with trauma, grief, and loss. During their visit to Minneapolis, the dogs were available to parishioners, children, families, and first responders, offering gentle reassurance in a time of overwhelming pain.
In a statement, the CRC team expressed their gratitude for being able to support the community during this heartbreaking moment. “We are deeply grateful to have been asked by the Bishop and his presbyterate to be present with the parishioners and community during this difficult time,” the statement read. “Our CRC members are committed to offering strength, comfort, and prayer to all who are grieving—children, families, friends, and neighbors, as well as the law enforcement officers and first responders who serve with such dedication.”
The presence of the dogs and their handlers brought a sense of peace to many parishioners who attended gatherings at Annunciation Catholic Church following the shooting. For children especially, interacting with the canines helped ease some of their anxiety and gave them a way to process the tragedy without words.
This is not the first time Gloucester Township’s CRC team has responded to a tragedy. The department regularly deploys its canines to support communities across the country dealing with grief and trauma. Their approach goes beyond traditional law enforcement, focusing instead on compassion, healing, and connection.
For parishioners of Annunciation Catholic Church, the visit served as a reminder that they are not alone in their pain. Communities from across the nation are standing with them, offering prayers, support, and comfort as they work to heal from the devastating attack.
While the grief will take time to heal, the presence of the Crisis Response Canines has provided a small but meaningful step toward recovery. The gentle nature of the dogs, combined with the compassionate support of their handlers, gave the Minneapolis community a much-needed sense of comfort during one of the darkest chapters in its history.
The Gloucester Township Police Department has emphasized that they will continue to stand in solidarity with the people of Minneapolis. Their goal is to bring hope and strength to those most affected by this tragedy, ensuring that even in the face of senseless violence, compassion and community remain stronger than fear.
