When Will Catholic Pastors Take Security Seriously?

A veteran police officer offers some practical advice on how to prevent a repeat of the terrorist attack on Annunciation Church in Minneapolis.

From Crisis

By Christopher Barca

For years, I have offered my help to improve security at Catholic parishes; and for years, pastors have either politely declined or simply ignored me.

When the news came out about the deadly shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis, I felt more than just sadness and anger. I had a grim sense of inevitability. For years, I have offered my help to improve security at Catholic parishes; and for years, pastors have either politely declined or simply ignored me.

Now, after another attack—this time at a Mormon church in Michigan, I find myself wondering which Catholic parish will be next.

These tragedies are not isolated incidents. They show a troubling trend: houses of worship across the country are increasingly targeted, and Catholic churches are mostly unprepared.

The Warnings We Ignore

During my three decades in law enforcement, I responded to far too many incidents at churches, synagogues, and other places of worship, including at my own parish. I dealt with disturbed individuals who intended to disrupt Mass or do worse. 

As my department’s Homeland Security liaison, I received extensive counterterrorism training and read threat bulletins sent to police agencies. Federal and state agencies have warned for years about extremist talk, mental-health-related threats, and organized hostility toward religious institutions. Churches, especially Catholic ones, are considered “soft targets.”

Yet, despite these warnings, Catholic leaders often look the other way.

One Saturday morning, my unit responded to a Protestant megachurch where a mentally-disturbed woman drove her van through the front doors, all the way to the “altar.” The building was empty at the time. If services had been going on, casualties would have been unavoidable.

The very next day, I approached my pastor after Mass. I told him how easily this could happen in our parish and urged him to install bollards or decorative concrete planters to protect the congregation while maintaining a welcoming appearance. He thanked me for the suggestion, but nothing was ever done.

This scenario repeated itself in parish after parish, including at the Catholic school my children attended. As part of my Homeland Security duties, I offered free training and security assessments to schools, synagogues, churches, and malls. Synagogues accepted eagerly. Protestant pastors welcomed the help. Public school officials even requested follow-up consultations.

Catholic pastors? They all declined. They appreciated police officers attending Mass in uniform, but beyond that, nothing.

“We Want to Be a Welcoming Place”

When pressed, the response was almost always the same: “We want to be a welcoming place.”

I explained that security doesn’t have to undermine hospitality. Trained volunteers, discreet safety measures, and coordination with local police can provide real safety without turning a church into a fortress. Still, the answer was no.

After retiring and moving, I tried again with our new parish. I sent two emails offering free consultation. Both were ignored. When I finally spoke to the pastor in person, he told me he had forwarded my messages to the parish security coordinator—a well-meaning elderly volunteer with no law enforcement or security background. This man assured me that everything was under control, even as I easily and quickly identified multiple vulnerabilities that any hostile actor could exploit.

This isn’t about bad will. I get it. Pastors are often overwhelmed and burdened with administrative tasks they weren’t trained for. Security may feel like “just one more thing.” But ignoring the problem doesn’t make it go away; it simply leaves the congregation more exposed.

The Cost of Complacency

The Catholic Church knows martyrdom well. But there is a difference between suffering for our Faith and exposing the faithful to dangers that can be prevented. Shepherds are not meant to be naïve; they are called to protect their sheep.

Consider some recent tragedies:

• In 2017, a gunman opened fire at a Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing 26 people during Sunday worship.
• In 2018, a shooter attacked the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, killing 11 worshipers.
• In 2019, a gunman targeted the West Freeway Church of Christ in Texas, but armed parishioners trained for such an attack stopped him.
• In 2024 and 2025, both Catholic and Mormon congregations experienced fatal shootings that might have been prevented with basic security measures.

If Protestant and Jewish congregations can take decisive steps to protect their people, why can’t Catholic parishes do the same?

The reality is that most parishes already have the resources they need. Nearly every parish has current or retired law enforcement officers or military veterans among its members. These parishioners would likely volunteer happily for a parish security team. Most police departments would gladly provide free assessments and work with parish leadership.

So why isn’t this happening?

Fear, Image, and Misplaced Priorities

Part of the problem is perception. Many pastors fear that visible security will make the parish seem unwelcoming or send the wrong message. Yet no one thinks twice about ushers standing at the back of the church or volunteers directing traffic in the parking lot. Why should security be different?

Others worry about liability or insurance, thinking that doing nothing somehow protects them from responsibility. In reality, the opposite is true: in an age of constant warnings and known threats, inaction is itself negligent.

Still others assume it “won’t happen here.” This belief is perhaps the most dangerous illusion of all. Every pastor thinks his parish is different until the unimaginable happens at his own doorstep. Denial is deadly.

A Catholic Framework for Security

This isn’t just a public policy issue. For Catholics, it’s a matter of pastoral responsibility. Bishops and pastors are shepherds tasked with protecting their sheep. That protection is both spiritual and, in today’s world, physical.

Hospitality and vigilance are not opposites; they complement each other. A parish that provides a safe environment is one that truly welcomes families, children, and the vulnerable.

Non-Catholic places of worship demonstrate this balance. Synagogues, Protestant churches, malls, and schools have learned how to combine warmth with caution. Catholic parishes must do the same.

Practical First Steps

Security doesn’t have to be expensive or intimidating. Here are measures any parish can take right away:

• Engage local police. Most departments will happily provide free security assessments.
• Form a volunteer team. Retired officers, veterans, or medically-trained parishioners can create a trained, discreet team.
• Secure entrances. Bollards, reinforced doors, and well-placed planters can prevent vehicle attacks without making the church feel like a bunker.
• Train ushers and greeters. A welcoming handshake can go hand in hand with awareness. Simple training can help volunteers spot warning signs before they escalate.
• Develop an emergency plan. Basic protocols—such as who calls 911, who guides people to exits, and who communicates with first responders—can save lives.

None of this requires “militarizing” the parish. It only requires foresight and humility to accept help from those with experience.

A Call to Action

When will Catholic bishops and pastors take the safety of their congregations seriously? How many more tragedies must happen before we act?

We should not fear for our lives while worshiping God. Every parishioner deserves to receive the Most Holy Eucharist without looking over their shoulder in fear.

The faithful must begin asking their pastors tough questions. Parish councils should make security a regular agenda item. Parents should insist on safe schools and churches for their children. Parishioners should offer their expertise instead of assuming “someone else will handle it.”

Our shepherds must lead, but the flock must also make its voice heard. The laity cannot stay silent while unnecessary dangers threaten the Church’s most vulnerable members.

The next attack is not a matter of if but when. The only question is whether we will be ready or if, once again, we will only offer thoughts and prayers after lives have been lost.