HELP HAITI NOW
January 13th, 2010Yesterday's news of a devastating 7.0 earthquake with an epicenter within 15 miles of Port-au-Prince shook these sick bones as much as it must have shaken the survivors in that island nation. The Haitian population, almost all Catholic, by virtue of its enduring poverty (the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere) is so vulnerable to acts of nature which wash away crops, destroy roads and weak infrastructures, slide schools and churches down hillsides. NOW THIS!
I am asking every Catholic in the diocese of St. Petersburg to be as generous as possible even our own desperate and difficult economic times by responding to one or two special collections to be taken up in all our Churches and institutions this Sunday and next. If you forget this special appeal this week-end, you will have on other chance to help. All monies will go immediately to Catholic Relief Services for food, medicine, clothing, housing and humanitarian assistance. The Cathedral in Port-au-Prince has fallen to the ground taking with it the life of the Archbishop. Buildings will await a later moment - now we need to save lives.
Finally parishes which twin with Haitian parishes and help them directly should kindly let me know how much assistance has been given so I can account for that as well.
PLEASE BE GENEROUS. THIS TIME THE GREATEST TRAGEDY IS LESS THAN 300 MILES FROM OUR DOOR AND THEY ARE CATHOLIC BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
Bishop Robert N. Lynch
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
News: January 12, 2010Emergency Brief 1; Haiti Earthquake
Situation: A 7.0 magnitude earthquake has ravaged the island nation of Haiti. The quake occurred 10 miles southwest of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince just before 5pm EST (Haiti is also on EST). Port-au-Prince, with a population of over 2 million, has been devastated. CRS Country Representative Karel Zelenka reports that "Port-au-Prince was covered with a plume of dust from damaged buildings. We should be prepared for many thousands of dead and injured."
The CRS offices were shaken, with some damage to the compound walls, but there were no injuries in the building. Two CRS staff members remain unaccounted for. Communication with Haiti remains very difficult.
There are also recently confirmed reports that the Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, Monsignor Joseph Serge Miot, was a victim of the quake. The Cathedral of Notre Dame in Port-au-Prince has sustained severe damage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CRS Response:CRS has made an initial commitment of 5 million dollars for immediate use in the relief effort. Our agency is geared up for a major emergency response to this severe disaster. CRS is mobilizing food and gearing up our emergency capacity, and deploying prepositioned emergency shelter and hygiene kits in Haiti, as well as bringing supplies in from the neighboring Dominican Republic.
From the Field:
Karel Zelenka, CRS Country Representative in Haiti: "I've been in earthquakes before. This was a major hit. And it was direct. Thousands must be dead."
CRS in the News:
From the Washington Post:
"People are out in the streets, crying, screaming, shouting," Karel Zelenka, director of the Catholic Relief Services office in Haiti, said Tuesday night. "They see the extent of the damage," he said, but could do little to rescue people trapped under rubble because night had fallen.
"There are a lot of collapsed buildings," Zelenka said in a telephone interview from Port-au-Prince. "This will be a major, major disaster."
He reported that poorly constructed shantytowns and other buildings had crumbled in huge clouds of dust. Near the CRS headquarters, a supermarket was "completely razed," he said, and a gasoline station and a church were reduced to rubble.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011300320_2.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2010011300336
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer
God of all creation, as we weep with our family in Haiti, console us.
In this time of crisis, open our eyes to look beyond the disaster
to see Christ in our brothers and sisters in Haiti, as Christ sees us.
Be with us as we stand in solidarity with those living and working in Haiti.
Be with us in our mourning and guide our efforts to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, comfort the grieving and stand for justice.
With your mercy, sustain us at this time as we continue to work for peace and justice.
Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For our Brothers and Sisters in Haiti Affected by the Earthquake
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the Haitian people, that help comes to them quickly and comfort comes to those who hurt.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the lost or buried, that they are found and reunited with their loved ones.
Lord, hear our prayers.
For the relief workers, that they have the tools they need, the courage and the strength to respond fully.
Lord, hear our prayers.
For the families in Haiti and in the United States who are waiting to hear from loved one, that good news comes to them.
Lord, hear our prayers.
For those whose who have perished, may their souls rest with you, oh Lord, where they will find eternal love.
Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How to Help:Prayer
God of all creation, as we weep with our family in Haiti, console us.
In this time of crisis, open our eyes to look beyond the disaster
to see Christ in our brothers and sisters in Haiti, as Christ sees us.
Be with us as we stand in solidarity with those living and working in Haiti.
Be with us in our mourning and guide our efforts to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, comfort the grieving and stand for justice.
With your mercy, sustain us at this time as we continue to work for peace and justice.
Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For our Brothers and Sisters in Haiti Affected by the Earthquake
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the Haitian people, that help comes to them quickly and comfort comes to those who hurt.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the lost or buried, that they are found and reunited with their loved ones.
Lord, hear our prayers.
For the relief workers, that they have the tools they need, the courage and the strength to respond fully.
Lord, hear our prayers.
For the families in Haiti and in the United States who are waiting to hear from loved one, that good news comes to them.
Lord, hear our prayers.
For those whose who have perished, may their souls rest with you, oh Lord, where they will find eternal love.
Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Donate via phone: 1-877-HELP-CRS
Donate online: www.crs.org
Write a check: Catholic Relief Services
P.O. Box 17090
Baltimore, Maryland 21203-7090
Memo portion of check: Haiti Earthquake
Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic Church, is responding to victims of the massive earthquake in Haiti. To donate, please call 1-877-HELP-CRS, donate online at www.crs.org or send a check to Catholic Relief Services, P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21203-7090. In the memo portion of your check, please write: Haiti Earthquake
For more information go to crs.org and crsespanol.org
Simone Blanchard
Interim Director
CRS SE Regional Office
404-681-4600
Be One of a Million Catholics Confronting Global Poverty