Mass carries on despite standoff

By FATHER BRENT LINGLE
Storm Lake St. Mary Parish Pastor

Father Lingle recounts how the Jan. 26 Sunday Masses proceeded safely during a lengthy standoff two blocks from the church.
 
As the 9 a.m. Mass began I could see the arrival of a lot of law enforcement officers at the scene and from my place in the sanctuary I had a pretty good view of what was happening.
 
During the Lamb of God, right before Communion, (Lieutenant Alyssa) Solem entered the church and I had a brief conversation with her near the baptismal font, while the congregation was singing the lamb of God. She informed me what was happening and we had a plan for keeping people clear of that immediate area.
 
I was able to continue Mass without incident and at the conclusion of Mass at the announcements, explained that there was an active police event nearby and that people needed to exit from their parking places and leave from the south and the west and avoid going anywhere east of the church. That went off without incident. When Mass was over, I also had a message from Chief (Chris) Cole that I had received during Mass.

 Father Brent LingleShares ‘church’s commitment to human dignity’
The 11 a.m. Mass (in Spanish) was able to happen without incident as well with the same dismissal procedure as the 9 a.m. Mass. I was a bit more on edge about the 11 a.m. Mass as I feared the image of a large police presence in the area may keep many away from that Mass because of the immigration situation and mass deportations taking place at the national level.
 
Our attendance was normal and at the end of Mass I was able to explain what was going on and asked them to leave the church when Mass was over to the south and west, again avoiding the area where the standoff was happening. It also allowed me to share with them of the church’s commitment to human dignity and that one’s immigration status does not matter when it comes to practicing one’s faith and receiving the sacraments and to assure them that St. Mary’s is a safe and welcoming place for everyone.
 
Disturbances in Sioux City prepared priest ‘for things like this’
Thankfully, through my years of ministry I have learned and done training for lockdowns, active shooters and other such things as well as living and working at the Cathedral (of the Epiphany) in Sioux City for 10 years where we regularly had disturbances prepared me for things like this. We also have a great relationship with the SLPD and actively work with them in keeping both our church and school safe.
 
I have open communication with the chief and other officers on a regular basis and felt very safe throughout the situation while Masses were going on. We would never do anything that jeopardizes the safety of our parishioners. If the SLPD had said it was unsafe to have Mass, then we would have cancelled.
 
(This article originally appeared in the Jan. 31 edition of the Storm Lake Times Pilot and is reprinted with permission.)

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