wfn.org | Lutherans Extend Prayers To The Red Lake Community

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

March 24, 2005

Lutherans Extend Prayers To The Red Lake Community
05-053MRC

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- It "was a day of shock, confusion and
sadness," the Rev. Marlene Whiterabbit Helgemo, a pastor of
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) serving All Nations
Indian Church, Minneapolis, said about March 21, when a student
killed five other students, a teacher and school security guard,
and wounded several others at Red Lake High School, Red Lake,
Minn., before killing himself.	Other victims included the
student's grandfather and the grandfather's woman friend.
     "The Red Lake Reservation closed down Monday night, which
meant that no one could enter or leave the reservation," Helgemo
said.  "We opened our church doors, so people could visit with
each other and share information since many were hearing
different stories of what had happened, collecting only bits and
pieces of information," she said.
     Red Lake High School is located on the reservation, which is
home to the Red Lake Band of Chippewa.	Many of that nation live
near Minneapolis/St. Paul, Helgemo said.  "I would say there's
close to half living off the reservation.  We've been working to
collect and provide gas cards and money for food for urban
Indians traveling back and forth from the Twin Cities to the
reservation," she said.
     "There has been great support from the Twin Cities
community, particularly from other tribal organizations," she
said.  "Indians here set up a fund at Wells Fargo Bank for people
who would like to donate money for families who've lost loved
ones."
     "Many people here and across the country are concerned for
our children.  We're receiving many phone calls from people
across the country, offering help and support," Helgemo said.
She said many people are organizing to provide "support for urban
Indian youth and others, since support for children needs to
extend beyond what public schools can provide.	Young people need
to know that there are adults who care about them," she said.
     Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, St. Paul, and
Lutheran Disaster Response are "networking and visiting with
ministries already active in the Red Lake area to understand how
we can be supportive and broaden efforts to meet increasing
demands and future needs," said Melanie Josephson Davis, director
of disaster response services, Lutheran Social Services of
Minnesota.  To support the needs of the Red Lake community, Davis
said Lutherans can contribute funds to Lutheran Disaster
Response, a ministry of the ELCA and Lutheran Church-Missouri
Synod.
     "Words cannot convey our sympathy and sorrow as we grieve
this tragedy that has visited one of the communities of our
synod, our friends and neighbors," said the Rev. Rolf P.
Wangberg, bishop of the ELCA Northwestern Minnesota Synod,
Moorhead, in a March 22 letter to pastors of the synod.
     "Please pray for all of the families that are intimately
connected to this event, for those who have lost loved ones, for
the family of the one who has caused their deaths, for the staff
of the school, for the students, and for all the congregations
that are in ministry to this community," he said.
_ _ _
DOMESTIC DISASTERS:

Editors: When listing organizations receiving funds to aid
survivors of major disasters inside the United States, Puerto
Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, please include:
ELCA Domestic Disaster Response, P.O. Box 71764, Chicago,
Illinois 60694-1764
Credit card gift line: 1-800-638-3522
Credit card gifts via Internet:
http://www.elca.org/disaster/ddrgive

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news