Cardinal DiNardo, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Christians experience the pain of the family and friends of the victims "as if it were our own."

After the mass shooting at First Baptist Church, the town turned to the only other civic institution here capable of handling it all — another Baptist church.

On the same day as the Texas church shooting when 26 people were killed and more than 20 were wounded, another shooting already had taken place in the parking lot of a Catholic church in Fresno, California.

In what is becoming a grim American ritual, mass shooting sites from Sandy Hook to Columbine have been demolished and then rebuilt.

There are signs that at least among some U.S. Catholic bishops, statements of grief and sorrow are being backed up with pledges to push for legislative action on guns.

Mr. Colbert’s words called to mind Pope Francis’ critique of the arms industry.