Minneapolis: Less than three weeks after the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minnesota, the parents of 12-year-old Sophia Forchas say their daughter’s unexpected recovery from a life-threatening head injury is nothing short of miraculous.
Sophia was among the 21 people injured during the horrific Sept. 1 attack that claimed the lives of two children, 10-year-old Harper Moyski and 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, during a school Mass. She was rushed to hospital with a critical gunshot wound to the head, and doctors warned her parents, Tom and Amy Forchas, that her survival was uncertain.
“Doctors told us she was on the brink of death,” her parents said in a statement. “In that darkest hour, the world responded with faithful devotion and fervent prayer.”
As news of the shooting spread, prayer vigils, Masses, and online messages of support poured in from around the world. From Athens to Minneapolis, strangers and friends alike joined the Forchas family in hoping for a recovery many feared would never come.
Sophia’s mother, a pediatric critical care nurse, was at work responding to the crisis before realizing it was her children’s own school that had been attacked. Her younger son was also inside the building during the shooting, though unharmed.
Michelle Erickson, a family friend, organized a GoFundMe campaign to support Sophia’s recovery and provide counseling resources for the family. The fundraiser has since drawn more than $1 million in donations, reflecting the overwhelming response to the tragedy.
By Sept. 5, Sophia’s condition was described as “changing minute to minute.” But last week, doctors reported unexpected signs of resilience. Her parents said her progress has astonished medical staff: “Her progress to this point is being called miraculous. We are calling it a miracle.”
The family described Sophia as fighting “not just for herself, but for every soul who stood by her in prayer.” They added: “Please continue to keep Sophia in your hearts and prayers. She is a warrior! And she is winning!!”
Even as hope shines for Sophia, grief continues to weigh heavily on the community. On Sept. 14, hundreds gathered at Lake Harriet Bandshell for a celebration of life for 10-year-old Harper Moyski. Her parents, Mike Moyski and Jackie Flavin, described their daughter as “a light” who radiated joy, imagination, and love.
“Harper didn’t do anything halfway,” Flavin said. “She was extra in the very best way.” Describing their grief, she added: “These weeks have felt like being dropped at the bottom of the ocean, where it is pitch dark, and the pressure is crushing. But we are not lost, because love surrounds us.”
Her husband, Mike, echoed that gratitude: “You’ve lifted us up during the hardest days of our lives, and we are so grateful.”
Students of Annunciation Catholic School are gradually returning under a modified schedule, with counseling services, security measures, and spiritual support in place. The church itself, desecrated by the violence, will undergo a Catholic ritual of reconsecration to restore it as a place of worship.
Father Matthew Crane, a Minnesota canon lawyer, explained that the rite includes stripping the sanctuary, penitential prayers, and sprinkling the church and congregation with holy water. “The spiritual effects are purification and reparation,” he said. “For many, it restores the sense of being truly at home in God’s house again.”
For the Annunciation community, the journey ahead is one of both mourning and rebuilding. Families like the Moyskis continue to grieve irreplaceable losses, while the Forchas family clings to the miracle of Sophia’s survival.
“We thank you for all the prayers, love, and unwavering support from across the globe,” the Forchas family said. “The road ahead is steep, but Sophia is climbing it with fierce determination.”