After the Tumbler Ridge school shooting left 10 dead, Bishop Stephen Jensen urged prayer and penance on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.
Newsroom (12/02/2026 Gaudium Press ) On the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes—also observed by the Church as the World Day of the Sick—Bishop Stephen Jensen of Prince George called for collective prayer and penance across northern British Columbia after a mass school shooting that shattered the quiet community of Tumbler Ridge on Feb. 10.
“The unimaginable tragedy that struck the community of Tumbler Ridge yesterday has traumatized us all,” Bishop Jensen said in a statement released Feb. 11. “The most effective response we can offer for the intentions of the dead and the survivors, their families, the emergency responders, the parish community and town, is our own prayer and penance.”
Ten Dead, Dozens Injured in Small-Town Attack
At least ten people were confirmed dead—including the suspected shooter—and dozens more were injured in the midday attack that unfolded at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and a nearby residence. Royal Canadian Mounted Police reported the suspect, believed to be a woman (transgender), was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted wound.
Lockdowns across the town and an emergency alert were lifted after police secured the scene and safely relocated students. Investigators continue probing possible connections between the shooter and the victims.
In a statement, School District 59 announced that both Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and Tumbler Ridge Elementary School would remain closed for the rest of the week “as the community mourns and recovers.”
A Northern Town in Mourning
Home to just 2,500 residents, Tumbler Ridge lies about 250 miles northeast of Prince George, within the Catholic Diocese of Prince George. The town’s Holy Cross Mission, served by Our Lady of Peace Parish in nearby Chetwynd, has become a focal point for grieving parishioners.
Messages of prayer and solidarity flooded the parish’s Facebook page overnight. Pallottine Father Jeevan Bandanadham, pastor of both Holy Cross Mission and Our Lady of Peace Parish, offered words of comfort to the community in a message on Feb. 10.
“I am very concerned for each of you. I sincerely hope that you and your families are safe and doing well,” he wrote. “Please know that you are in my heartfelt thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. May God surround you with His peace, comfort, and protection.”
Church Leaders Across B.C. Offer Prayers
Across British Columbia, Catholic leaders echoed Bishop Jensen’s appeal for prayer, urging the faithful to unite in grief and intercession.
Archbishop Richard W. Smith of Vancouver said he was “deeply saddened to learn of yesterday’s tragic violence in Tumbler Ridge.” Extending condolences to the Diocese of Prince George, he added: “In this time of grief, may the Lord draw close to those who suffer and grant strength to all who care for them.”
From the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of New Westminster, Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski—who also serves as state chaplain for the British Columbia and Yukon Knights of Columbus—issued a call to clergy under his care. “We are shocked and saddened by the horrific event that took place in the northern community of Tumbler Ridge,” he wrote, asking parishes to include prayers for victims at all liturgies in the coming days.
Turning to Prayer in the Shadow of Lent
Bishop Jensen noted that the tragedy comes just one week before the beginning of Lent, “a time for more intense prayer and penance—personal sacrifice—to beg God’s healing grace for our lives and for the world.”
Invoking the intercession of Mary on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, he concluded his message with a plea for divine mercy and solidarity. “In the words of the familiar prayer, we turn to her ‘mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.’ May we all unite our prayers to our Lady’s intercession to ask for God’s presence and mercy in our suffering world.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from OSV news
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