Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis on Sept. 3, 2025. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Thursday, Aug. 27, will be a day of service and remembrance in Minneapolis to mark one year since the deadly mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School.
Two Annunciation students were killed and dozens of others were injured in the August 25, 2025, shooting that occurred while students, staff and neighbors were gathering for mass during the first week of school.
Pearl Park event
What we know:
Minneapolis city leaders and partners are holding a community and remembrance event in Pearl Park from 1 to 5 p.m. on Aug. 27 in honor of the Annunciation community. People are invited to come to plant flowers and trees, assemble youth care kit and collect school supplies.
The care kits will go to Avenues for Youth, a nonprofit organization supporting youth experiencing homelessness. School supplies will go to Minneapolis Public Schools students.
What to bring:
Below are lists of the school supplies and care kit items needed. All items should be new and unopened.
Items recommended for school supplies
- Pencils, pens, etc.
- Markers
- Crayons
- Backpacks
- Notebooks
- Highlighters
- Binders
- Water bottles
- Sticky notes
Items recommended for care kits for Avenues for Youth
- Feminine hygiene products
- Decks of cards
- Stickers
- Fidget spinners
- Hard warmers
- Notebooks
Honor Harper and Fletcher with bells and lights
What you can do:
At 8:26 a.m. on Aug. 27, churches are encouraged to ring their bells in memory of Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski, the two students killed in the shooting. Minneapolis residents are also asked to place two candles or lights in their windows to honor the victims.
Acts of service
What you can do:
Annunciation is encouraging everyone to serve others in their own communities or to perform an act of kindness on Aug. 27.
If you don’t know where to start, Annunciation suggested the following places to volunteer or donate to:
- Catholic Charities
- Bridging
- Every Meal
- Incarnation Food Shelf
- Memorial Blood Centers
- Second Harvest Heartland
READ NEXT: How to support, honor Annunciation community on 1-year anniversary
Annunciation requests privacy to support community healing
What they're saying:
Annunciation is requesting privacy as the community and those affected are still in the early stages of healing, according to the city's news release. All events at Annunciation church are private and closed to the public.
The community also requests that the public not send stuffed animals, flowers, food or other physical donations.
How You Can Help:
Anyone wishing to support the community is encouraged to contribute to the Annunciation Hope and Healing Fund.
Following the August 27, 2025, mass shooting, the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota established the Annunciation Hope and Healing Fund. The fund will provide financial support for the needs of the church, school and others affected by the shooting.
Contributions to the fund can be made here.
Information on donating via bank, credit card, or mailing a check can be found here.
Minneapolis City Council adopts honorary resolution
Big picture view:
The Minneapolis City Council adopted a resolution on Tuesday honoring the victims, survivors, families and communities of Annunciation and commemorating one year of hope and healing.
The resolution also recognizes the Annunciation community's resilience, courage, faith and compassion in caring for one another, supporting those who are grieving and continuing to move forward together in spite of the tragedy.
"People don't forget where they were on that day, on that moment," said Mayor Jacob Frey at the Minneapolis City Council Committee of the Whole meeting. "As mayor, you see things you never want to see, you hear things that you never wanted to hear. You also have the opportunity to experience people at their very best. And that's what I saw. Not just on that date, but over the next several weeks, months, this whole year."
The Source: Information in this story comes from a City of Minneapolis press release and the Annunciation Catholic School Facebook page.