Pope Leo XIV offered condolences on Sunday for the victims of Texas flash floods that have killed at least 70 people, speaking in English after Angelus prayers as search teams continued looking for dozens still missing from the disaster that began July 4. Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio has led the Catholic Church's response, celebrating special masses and coordinating relief efforts in the hardest-hit communities along the Guadalupe River.
The Pope's public statement comes as the death toll continues climbing from what officials are calling one of Texas's deadliest flood disasters in recent memory, with 27 girls from a Christian summer camp still unaccounted for.
"I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters who were at summer camp in the disaster caused by flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States. We pray for them," Pope Leo said at the Vatican12.
The US-born pontiff's remarks focused on Camp Mystic, where 27 girls and one counselor remain missing after the Guadalupe River surged nearly 30 feet in 45 minutes early Friday morning3. At least 59 people died in Kerr County alone, including 21 children, according to county officials43.
Statewide, the death toll reached 70 as of Sunday afternoon, with additional fatalities reported in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson counties4.
Archbishop García-Siller traveled to Kerrville on July 4 with Bishop Michael Boulette to minister to flood victims and coordinate the Catholic response1. The archdiocese established a shelter at Notre Dame Church in Kerrville, providing food, water, clothing and supplies through Catholic Charities1.
"We want to be in solidarity in one heart with those who are suffering [and] those who are going through uncertainty as the search continues," García-Siller told OSV News2. The archbishop celebrated a special televised mass Sunday morning at San Fernando Cathedral and presided over an 11 a.m. service in Kerrville for victims and their families3.
The flooding began when 5-11 inches of rain fell in just hours across the Texas Hill Country, causing rivers to surge beyond their banks1. In Hunt, Texas, where Camp Mystic is located, the river gauge recorded a 22-foot rise in two hours before failing when water reached 29 feet1.
President Trump signed a disaster declaration for Kerr County on Sunday, activating federal emergency management resources2.
García-Siller drew parallels to another Texas tragedy, noting his involvement with the 2022 Uvalde school shooting. "The fact is the same: lives are missing, and the families are going through a lot," he said3.
