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Sophia Forchas, who was shot in the head during the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis on Aug. 27, is making a steady recovery.
On behalf of the Forchas family, Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis released a statement on Monday with an update on the 12-year-old’s progress.
“Sophia is winning!” her family shared. “Your prayers are working.”
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“On behalf of our entire family, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone near and far, for the continued prayers, the outpouring of love, and the tremendous support for our precious Sophia.”
The statement continued, “We are humbled by the countless individuals across the globe who have lifted her up in prayer, including His All-Holiness Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew and His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.”
Sophia Forchas (right) was shot in the head during the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Forchas Family)
The Forchas family echoed that their daughter’s survival of the “horrifying attack” is a “miracle,” and that her healing process has also been “nothing short of miraculous.”
“Each day, we uncover new revelations of moments and circumstances that kept her alive and made her recovery possible,” they wrote. “God has heard our prayers and wrapped Sophia in His healing embrace.”
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According to a Facebook post from St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis, penned by Fr. Timothy Sas on the day of the shooting, Forchas went into surgery “immediately” after being critically injured.
Forchas, whose family has been “devoted members” of the St. Mary’s congregation, then passed through a “difficult and long surgery” and remained in a “critical situation,” the post said.
Sophia Forchas is recovering from her injuries after undergoing emergency surgery. (Forchas Family)
Forchas’ neurosurgeon, Dr. Walt Galcich, said a bullet lodged into the seventh-grader’s head, causing severe damage, as reported by AP.
In this most recent update, the family reported that Forchas has continued to make “steady progress,” showing signs of neurological recovery.
Forchas’ doctors remain “cautiously optimistic” as her medical team prepares to transition her from acute care at Hennepin County Medical Center to an inpatient rehabilitation program.
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“Though she still has a long journey ahead, filled with extensive therapy, her resilience continues to inspire hope at every step,” the family updated.
“Sophia is strong, brave and unwavering in her fight toward healing. We ask that you continue to pray for her as she walks this road to recovery.”
People kneel by the Annunciation Catholic Church on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Minneapolis after the school shooting. (Abbie Parr/AP Photo)
The Forchas family extended thanks to the “extraordinary staff of Hennepin Healthcare at HCMC for their tireless dedication and world-class care.”
“To our extended family, the Orthodox Church, our Annunciation school family, our friends and colleagues, and the many strangers who have become prayer warriors for Sophia, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” the family said.
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“Please continue to pray. Pray for peace and when you pray, move your feet. Let us worship God together and walk forward in Faith, Hope and Love. Together, we can create a better tomorrow.”
A GoFundMe page set up for Sophia noted that Sophia’s younger brother was inside the school during the shooting but was not physically injured.
Police work the scene following a mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School on Aug. 27, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Getty Images)
Sophia’s mother is a pediatric critical care nurse who was at work at Hennepin Healthcare when she discovered that her daughter was among the injured, according to AP.
During the first morning mass of the school year, identified shooter Robin Westman fired dozens of rounds into the church, shattering stained-glass and pew-side windows as terrified students and parishioners ducked for cover.
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Two children, Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski, were killed, and 18 people — 15 of them children — were injured.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner, Michael Dorgan, Emma Bussey and Lorraine Taylor contributed to this report.
