Hundreds gathered at the Lake Harriet Bandshell in Minneapolis on Sunday to celebrate the life of 10-year-old Harper Moyski, one of the two young students killed last month in the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church.

Harper Moyski and fellow Annunciation Catholic School student, 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, both died in the attack on Aug. 27, which also injured 21 others — mostly children — in attendance for a Mass marking the start of the school year.

Parents Mike Moyski and Jackie Flavin opened up about the difficulty of their loss, which no parents should ever have to endure.

"These last few weeks have felt like being dropped at the bottom of the ocean, where it is pitch dark, and the pressure is crushing and no human is really meant to survive it," Flavin said.

Flavin said they're navigating the darkness by remembering three lessons Harper taught them.

Lesson one: Be your own kind of light.

"Harper was an original person through and through," Flavin said. "Confident, kind and completely her own kind of light, and she really taught us to show up exactly as you are."

Lesson two: Let your light be big.

"Harper didn't do anything halfway. She was extra in the very best way," Flavin said. "She just packed so much joy and imagination into her short 10 years, and thank God. Thank God she made it all count."

Lesson three: Light grows when we share it.

"She taught us something profound, that light doesn't always mean being strong on your own," Flavin said. "Sometimes it really means being soft enough to let love in."  

They asked attendees to put lesson three into immediate practice, encouraging people to introduce themselves to three strangers, give them a hug and share their light.

"You've lifted us up during the hardest days of our lives, and we are so grateful," said Mike Moyski.

"There's just so much love and support lighting our path that we haven't felt lost," Flavin said. "Shattered and heartbroken, but not lost."

After the program, people lingered by the bandshell and enjoyed free food trucks and chalk drawing — two things Harper Moyski loved.

Students set to return to Annunciation Catholic School

Also on Sunday,  Annunciation Catholic School leaders announced students will be returning to school this week with a modified schedule. Tuesday will be the first day back since the tragedy.

"As we continue to lift up Harper Moyski and Fletcher Merkel, and to pray for Sophia Forchas and all our injured community members in their recovery, we recognize the natural interest in the timetable for the reopening of our school," school leaders wrote. "We recognize that, while we walk our path together, some members of our community walk at different paces and with different steps."

Officials said school activities this week will be "centered on support, connection, and play." There will also be a "visible security presence" on campus this week, and extra support staff on hand to help students and employees.

Gov. Tim Walz also released a statement on Sunday about the progress being made by Forchas. Doctors upgraded her condition from critical to serious in the past week, and confirmed on Sunday that she is still in serious condition.

Walz said he first lady Gwen Walz are urging all to "keep [Forchas] and her family in your thoughts as she continues to heal."

The governor called for a special session at the Capitol focused on gun safety following the Annunciation shooting. He's proposed a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazine clips, a safe storage law, liability insurance and fortifying the state's red flag law.  

"It's been done in other places, it's been done without infringements on people's Second Amendment rights, but it has proven that it will help protect our students," Walz said on Sept. 2. 

Republican proposals for the possible special session include more authority for doctors to deny gender-affirming care, taxpayer money for security for private schools, including Catholic schools, resource officers in all schools, tougher penalties and more money for mental health beds.