Archbishop Nelson Perez, of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, was among Catholic leaders who offered up prayers for those affected by Saturday’s shooting in Buffalo, N.Y.

“This weekend, I participated in the Concert for Unity, sponsored by our Archdiocesan Commission on Racial Healing,” Perez said in a Tuesday Facebook post. “This moment of grace came less than 24 hours after a brutal and racially motivated shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, that left 10 people dead and a community in mourning. It is another painful reminder that the mortal sin of racism has not been eradicated in this country.”

Saturday’s shooting occurred when an 18-year-old man traveled more than three hours to a supermarket in Buffalo, where he allegedly shot four people in the parking lot, an ABC News report said. He was then said to have entered the store, where he allegedly shot nine more people. Ten of those who were shot died. 

The supermarket was in a predominantly black neighborhood, and authorities have called the shooting racially motivated, the news report said. The suspect is being held without bail. 

The Catholic Church opposes racism, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) said. 

The USCCB issued a pastoral letter in 2018. With the title “Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love,” it reiterated the Church's opposition to racism. The letter condemned racism as a "particularly destructive and persistent form of evil."

“The salvation which God has wrought, and the Church joyfully proclaims, is for everyone,” Pope Francis said, quoted in the pastoral letter. “God has found a way to unite himself to every human being in every age.”

In response to the recent shootings in Buffalo and Laguna Woods, Calif. — a Sunday church shooting that left one person dead and several others injured — the USCCB issued a release: “The U.S. bishops join with others throughout the country in offering prayers for the support and healing of the families, friends, and communities of those impacted by these violent incidents. We pray especially for those who were injured and particularly for those who lost their lives.”

“All lives are gifts from God designed to share their unique gifts with those around them,” Perez said in the post. “Tragically, these gifts were violently ripped away from families, friends, and a community that is now struggling with deep grief.”