Students from two Kansas City‑area Catholic high schools gathered on Sunday night to pray the rosary after a deadly crash at the Stryker Sports Complex in northeast Wichita. The tragedy occurred Saturday afternoon when a pickup truck entered the field where the inaugural Girls Flag Football Kansas State Championship was about to begin.
Fatal crash and immediate response
The vehicle struck a crowd of spectators, killing a 6‑year‑old boy and a 35‑year‑old man from McPherson, Kansas, and injuring eleven others. The driver, a woman, was released on Sunday without charges. The St. James Academy and St. Thomas Aquinas flag‑football teams were scheduled to kick off the championship on the adjacent field when the crash happened. Nearby Shawnee Mission East and Shawnee Mission South were playing a third‑place game at the time.
Students turn to faith
Andy Tylicki, president of St. James Academy High School, said a group of students began planning a rosary almost immediately after the incident. “There was a group of kids that got together as early as yesterday afternoon after it happened to start planning this rosary tonight to invite the community and to pray for those that were hurt and killed,” Tylicki told reporters.
Tylicki emphasized that the tragedy has united the Catholic school community, regardless of which school the students attend. “They’re in the pews together every Sunday morning, whether it’s Bishop Ward, Bishop Miege, or St. Thomas Aquinas, we’re all one big family,” he said.
Later that evening, the St. James Academy team met with the St. Thomas Aquinas team under the bleachers and prayed the rosary while EMTs, fire personnel, and police worked on the victims.
Continued prayers and healing
Both schools plan additional prayer gatherings. St. Thomas Aquinas High School will hold a rosary at 5:30 p.m. on Monday in its Lenexa campus chapel. The school’s statement expressed gratitude for the safety of its athletes and asked for God’s mercy for the injured and the souls of those who died.
Archbishop Shawn McKnight of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas also issued a statement, urging the faithful to pray for the victims, the injured, and the grieving families. He asked the Lord to “draw near to those who are suffering” and to bring “healing, repentance, and hope where they are most needed.”
Community response
The Shawnee Mission School District released a statement confirming that the incident occurred on a Saturday afternoon while the Shawnee Mission West and Shawnee Mission South girls’ flag‑football teams were playing on an adjacent field. KSHSAA suspended the third‑place game and the 5 p.m. state championship, and all participants were directed off the property by Kansas Highway Patrol and Wichita police.
Local families, clergy, and school officials have expressed deep sorrow but also confidence that the power of prayer can bring comfort and eventual healing. “High school students are very resilient, but they do believe in the power of prayer and what this night can do for healing,” Tylicki said.
Looking ahead
While the community mourns the loss of the young boy and the adult victim, the united rosary gatherings underscore the role of faith in helping families and neighbors cope with tragedy. The schools plan to continue offering spiritual support in the coming days, reinforcing the belief that shared prayer can foster hope amid sorrow.
Original reporting: KSHB 41 Kansas City (local) — read the source article.
