Countless tears are being shed in the Texas Hill Country — some of unspeakable grief, others of profound gratitude — after an early-morning flash flood on July 4 concentrated along the Guadalupe River took the lives of at least 120 people and caused extensive property damage.

Bridie Chaudoir of San Antonio falls into the latter category of gratitude on two counts. 

First off, her young daughter had been offered a space at Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp on the river, for the exact week the flooding occurred, but she opted to have her go in August instead. Had she not made the change, her daughter would have been in the “Bubble Inn” cabin, all the occupants of which were tragically swept away in the floodwaters. At least 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic have died, and others remain missing.

Secondly, at the time of the flash flood, Chaudoir’s 12-year-old son Henry was asleep at Camp La Junta in Hunt, a Christian camp for boys also located on the Guadalupe River, just 5 miles away from Camp Mystic. It had been raining heavily throughout the night, when, at 4 a.m., the cry of a fellow camper woke him up. Henry realized the floor was covered in water, and counselors directed the boys to head for higher ground. It was pitch black, as the power had gone out, and the boys and counselors waited for three hours alongside a road before buses came and took them to safety.

While there was no loss of life or injuries at Camp La Junta, the nearly-100-year-old site was flooded. At least one cabin was torn off its foundation and thrown into another; a house from upstream floated into the site and smashed into the dining hall. 

Authorities estimate that the river rose 26 feet in 45 minutes, surprising many and giving them no chance to escape. The death toll is expected to rise, as more than 170 people are still reported missing.

“It was a complete surprise, a perfect storm,” said Chaudoir. “People come from all over the state to enjoy the beauty of the area, and no one was expecting this tragedy to happen.”

A parishioner at Our Lady of Grace Parish in San Antonio — about an hour-and-a-half drive south of Camp Mystic — Chaudoir is one of numerous Catholics in the region with a personal connection to the tragedy.

Another is Mollie Osborne of Houston. She attended Camp Mystic as a girl and sent her 11-year-old daughter there in June. She says Camp Mystic is located on a scenic site that draws girls statewide for two- and four-week sessions, during which they enjoy horseback riding, riflery, archery, swimming, canoeing, diving, golf and arts and crafts. She described it as a family-owned business whose leadership — including its 74-year-old owner, Dick Eastland, who perished in the flooding — knew the names of each of the campers. The 99-year-old camp’s past counselors have included Laura Bush, wife of President George W. Bush. 

Osborne was “horrified” to learn of Camp Mystic’s destruction: “I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t do anything for days. I couldn’t sleep; I was awake, praying and mourning the loss of life.”

She’s been in contact with survivors of the disaster to offer support, including a counselor with whom her daughter is close. Osborne, too, is troubled by thoughts that her daughter could have been there for the July camp and would have been housed in one of the buildings that was swept away.

She dismisses critics who suggest that the authorities should have done a better job warning of the flash flood: “It was a catastrophic, freak accident that no one ever imagined would have happened. It all happened so fast, and the water rose so quickly; I don’t know if a warning would have been noticed or would have helped.”

Catholics Step Up to Help

Many Catholics in the region have been stepping up to help, converging on Notre Dame Parish in Kerrville, of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, located in the hardest-hit community along the Guadalupe River. San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller visited Notre Dame on the day of the flooding and again for Mass on the following Sunday, July 6. 

While there, he met with families who had lost loved ones or whose loved ones were still missing. “I talked to people who were frightened and vulnerable,” he related to the Register. “It was often hard for them to speak, and it was hard for me to speak as well. I think in such times the most we can do for people in this situation is to be present and to remain silent.”

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of San Antonio was present at the church, offering supplies to victims, he said, and some of those distributing supplies had suffered a loss themselves. He recalled meeting one volunteering couple who had lost a co-worker, and when he asked if they wanted to take a break to mourn their loss, they told him, “We believe this is what we need to be doing right now: serving others.”

Notre Dame Catholic Church was full of worshippers for Sunday Mass, he said, and many told him stories of their loss. “One woman told me that her sister and her family, including four children, were missing,” he recounted. “Another said that while she and her family had survived the flooding, their home had been swept away.”

He said the flooding was the worst natural disaster he’d experienced since coming to San Antonio. He urged the public to pray for the victims of the Texas flooding and requested support for the work of the archdiocesan Catholic Charities in aiding victims. Funds are being used for emergency financial assistance, funeral expenses, counseling, legal services and other immediate needs.

Catholic Daughters

Another Catholic group that has stepped up to help is Catholic Daughters of the Americas at St. Mary’s Church, Fredericksburg, a 30-minute drive away from Notre Dame, reported Regent (president) Danielle Granville. 

After consulting with Notre Dame staff, the group brought such items as food, clothing, hygiene kits and medical supplies. The Catholic Daughters began by organizing a Divine Mercy Chaplet to pray for victims, in which 200 people participated. They next sought donations, intending to bring four crates of supplies, but the generosity of the parish led to the contribution of a truckload. About 50 people at the parish volunteered to sort and pack donated items, and 14 people transported the supplies to Notre Dame, “where we met people who shed a lot of tears and were grateful for all we were able to offer.”

Granville is a lifelong resident of the area and noted that this month’s flash flood was the worst she’d ever experienced. 

The Guadalupe River, she said, “is a gorgeous river, but can also be dangerous. It is able to transform into a raging beast, overflowing its banks and sweeping away anything that gets in its path.”

The Catholic Daughters walked to the edge of the river after distributing their supplies to pray for victims. They stood on a cliff 50 feet above the fast-moving river and experienced an “indescribable” sight. 

“We saw it carrying away debris, including downed trees, business signs and clothing,” she explained. “It was striking; we could see a humongous path of utter destruction below us.”

On the opposite bank, about 75 yards away, they observed an RV stuck in a tree, about 30 feet from the ground. 

However, Granville continued, “we could still see nature … two deer at the river’s edge, the birds singing and the wind in the trees. Amidst this unfathomable grief, God is still right here with us.”

Chaudoir reflected, “I am heartbroken for the parents who have lost daughters, including people I know and friends of friends.”

She continued, “It’s hard to understand how this tragedy fits into God’s plan, but at the same time there are many stories of bravery and heroism to be told of those who have been working to save victims.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP

To donate to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, visit here.