"St. Joseph, Protector of the Church, pray for us." We prayed this prayer before, during, and after a workshop we attended on Nov. 29 at Christ the King Retreat Center in San Angelo. The workshop, "Protecting Your Flock," sponsored by the Miles Ministerial Alliance, was occasioned by the active shooters that have murdered and wounded people in various churches, most recently in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Both Catholics and Protestants attended the workshop. Seventy-four people were registered, with laity, both men and women, outnumbering clergy.   
 
This was the second workshop we have attended that dealt with this threat. The first was last March, and was sponsored by the Kimble County Sheriff's Department and met in the County Courthouse in Junction. While it was not specifically directed toward churches, pastors in the community were encouraged to attend.
 
It is a sad thing that workshops such as this are needed. Churches are welcoming places and members should not have to be concerned with whether or not a stranger is a deadly threat. However, this is the reality with which we live, and those of us in America now can better understand the danger that other Christians around the world live with every day. 
 
As Catholics, we are instructed about the right of self-defense in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In the words of the Catechism, "Love toward oneself remains a fundamental principle of morality. Therefore it is legitimate to insist on respect for one's own right to life. Someone who defends his life is not guilty of murder even if he is forced to deal his aggressor a lethal blow" (#2264). The Catechism continues with a quote from St. Thomas Aquinas which reads in part: "Nor is it necessary for salvation that a man omit the act of moderate self-defense to avoid killing the other man, since one is bound to take more care of one's own life than of another's" (#2264). The point is that if I attack you, your life is not less valuable than mine, and if I lose my life when you defend yourself, the fault is mine. 
 
With the emphasis on the family now being proclaimed in the Catholic Church, we should affirm that parents have not only the natural right, but also the duty, to protect each other and their children. As the Catechism teaches: "Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for one who is responsible for the lives of others" (#2265). Moreover, the parish priest's family is his entire parish. 
 
Of course, we hope that our natural right of self-defense does not result in the taking of another's life. In the first presentation at the workshop at Christ the King Retreat Center, it was pointed out that people who attack others in a church are frequently known to people who are members of that church. The first session of the workshop was on how to spot warning signs in the life of a person so that proper action can be taken to minister to that person's needs. This demands awareness on the part of members of the church and a method of sharing  information about problems a person may have. This can be understood as part of the pastoral care offered by the church.   
 
The second session of the workshop was concerned with ways of handling an intruder. Strategies for alerting authorities of the danger, preventing the attacker from entering a room, evacuating the area, and countering the attacker were discussed. 
 
The third session of the workshop was concerned with the response of people in a church after the threat has been removed: ministering to family members of victims, communicating with the media, and handling legal issues.
 
While the first three sessions of the workshop were video presentations, the final session was conducted by a member of the San Angelo Police Department. This was the only part of the workshop in which firearms were discussed. 
 
On Dec. 1, the Presbyteral Council discussed the Firearms Policy of the Diocese of San Angelo. A new policy was adopted and added to the Pastoral Manual. A copy of the new policy was distributed by email to priests in the Diocese on Dec. 7. Parishioners may contact their Pastor about the new policy. Among other things, the policy states that "Parishes are encouraged to provide Active Shooter Workshops to prepare their members to properly respond in the event of a shooting incident" (X.b.).
 
As we have reflected on all this from the perspective of Catholic families and Catholic parish life, we are convinced that asking St. Joseph, Head of the Holy Family and Protector of the Church, for his prayers will become part of our daily prayer in these times in which we live. Also, as we ask St. Joseph for his prayers for our family and our parish, we will ask his prayers for all Christians in the world who are faced with imminent threat of danger. 
 
St. Joseph, please pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters and for our families and parishes.