MINNESOTA (CONVERSEER) – Former U.S. President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris joined hundreds of mourners on Monday at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis for the funeral of Mark and Melissa Hortman, a Minnesota couple whose killings have been described as politically motivated.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who served as a pallbearer, and Attorney General Keith Ellison were also in attendance, along with civic and religious leaders. The Mass was presided over by Father Daniel Griffith, pastor of the Basilica, alongside Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Bishop Emeritus Richard Pates.
In his homily, Father Griffith reflected on the tragedy while offering hope and a call for unity. “We believe that death does not end in itself, but rather onto new life through the victory of Jesus Christ,” he said. “Indeed, they (the Hortmans) lived lives with purpose and meaning, lives lived in service of others in community with those they loved.”
He likened the grief to the biblical image of Mary accompanying Jesus to the cross, saying, “She accompanies us as a tender mother in our time of need.”
The couple was laid in state at the Minnesota State Capitol on 27 June, where over 7,500 people paid their respects, according to John Cunningham, assistant commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety and a former Brooklyn Park fire chief who had known the Hortmans personally. Their dog, Gilbert, who was injured during the attack and later euthanised, was also honoured during the observance.
Vance Boelter, 57, has been charged at both the federal and state levels for the fatal shootings, which Governor Walz has previously described as a “politically motivated assassination.”
Delivering a eulogy after the Mass, Walz praised the strength of the Hortmans’ children, Sophie and Colin. “The grace and courage shown by Sophie and Colin has made it easier for the state of Minnesota and the United States,” he said.
He urged Minnesotans and Americans to draw inspiration from the couple’s life and legacy. “The best way to honour these remarkable Minnesotans is to continue to work at building a state worthy of their aspirations and a politics worthy of their example,” Walz stated.
In a poignant call for collective introspection, he added, “Maybe it is this moment where each of us can examine the way we work together, the way we talk about each other, the way we fight for things we care about… the way Mark and Melissa did: fiercely, enthusiastically, heartily, but without ever losing sight of our common humanity.”
Father Griffith used the opportunity to reflect on the broader implications of the violence, referencing the death of George Floyd in 2020. “Minnesota was ground zero for racial injustice… and now ground zero for political violence and extremism,” he said. “Both of these must be decried in the strongest possible terms as they are respectively a threat to human dignity and indeed our democracy.”
Still, he expressed a vision for hope and healing: “My hope is in a God who made heaven and Earth… The path of healing and restoration begins with each of us in our hearts.”
The Hortmans, known for their civic engagement and public service, have now become symbols in Minnesota’s ongoing struggle against extremism, and their deaths a clarion call for unity and compassion in American public life.
