Washington: Catholic parishes across the United States have turned their Sunday homilies into moments of reflection and prayer following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was killed on Sept. 10 during a campus event at Utah Valley University.
Kirk, 31, was gunned down while addressing students. Authorities quickly arrested the alleged shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who is now in custody. Kirk leaves behind his wife, Erika, and their two young children, a loss that has resonated deeply not only in political circles but also within church communities.
At the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Father Chris Alar linked the tragedy to the Gospel of Luke’s call to “love your enemies.” He noted how Kirk himself had spoken compassionately even about criminals, emphasizing prayer over vengeance. “That is what Charlie Kirk did,” Alar said. “Though political, he was never a politician. Like Herod who struck at truth with violence, some today lash out when they cannot defeat truth.”
In Indianapolis, Father John Hollowell of All Saints Parish connected Kirk’s death with the nation’s remembrance of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Hollowell recalled his own stirring desire to serve in the military after the attacks but ultimately discerned a call to the priesthood. He suggested that Kirk’s assassination may similarly inspire young people to discern how best to serve their nation, whether in uniform or in spiritual vocations.
Father Jonathan Meyer, also of All Saints Parish, offered prayers not only for Kirk’s family but also for other grieving families nationwide from refugees in Charlotte to victims of violence in Minnesota and for those still mourning losses from Sept. 11, 2001. “Just this week we were reminded once again of how fallen our world is with the murder of Charlie Kirk,” he said.
In Williamsburg, Virginia, Father Eric Ayers of St. Bede Catholic Church warned against letting political hatred consume society. “These acts of violence are unconscionable and a horrible tragedy for our nation,” he said. But he cautioned against generalizing blame. “Before we blame one side or another, we need to remember that those actions don’t represent the vast majority.” Ayers urged humility, self-sacrifice, and the abandonment of ego as a remedy to political polarization.
At the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City, parishioners quietly gathered after Kirk’s death, offering rosaries and prayers before and after Mass. Father John Evans said the church became a spontaneous place of mourning and reflection.
On social media, worshippers shared that their priests had remembered Kirk in homilies across the country. “Today at my Catholic Mass the homily was about Charlie Kirk, what he stood for … It was about walking in Jesus’ shoes and bearing our cross,” one parishioner wrote on X. Another reported that his parish prayed the rosary for Kirk after Mass. Catholic commentator Sachin Jose also noted that the homily at his parish in New York honored Kirk’s memory.
The nationwide homilies underscored the Church’s attempt to grapple with a shocking act of political violence through the lens of Christian faith. Priests called not only for prayers for Kirk’s family but also for a renewal of civility, forgiveness, and unity in a divided nation.
“Charlie Kirk’s life and death remind us of the urgency of truth, but also of our call to love,” Father Alar said. “That is how Christians are called to answer violence not with hatred, but with the courage of faith.”