Catholic Response : Advice To Pastors On How To Help Haiti

Examiner.com ^ | 1/13/10 | Joseph Speranzella SFO

[Jihadi Du Jour]

PAPAL APPEAL FOLLOWING EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI

VATICAN CITY, 13 JAN 2010 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience, held in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope launched an appeal "for the dramatic situation currently being experienced in Haiti".

"I invite everyone to join my prayers to the Lord for the victims of this catastrophe and for those who mourn their loss. I give assurances of my spiritual closeness to people who have lost their homes and to everyone who, in various ways, has been affected by this terrible calamity, imploring God to bring them consolation and relief in their suffering.

"I appeal to the generosity of all people so that these our brothers and sisters who are experiencing a moment of need and suffering may not lack our concrete solidarity and the effective support of the international community. The Catholic Church will not fail to move immediately, through her charitable institutions, to meet the most immediate needs of the population".

Everyone wants to help in one way or another. It is early on and many are still waiting to hear from their contacts in Haiti. In an e-mail to all Pastors the Diocese of Richmond stated:

Dear Pastor: If you choose to have a collection in your parish for disaster relief for Haiti, please follow the usual procedure.

Have your parishioners make their checks to your parish with a memo that it is for Catholic Relief Services/Haiti. Send the entire parish donation in a single check to the Diocese Finance Office with a memo that it is for Catholic Relief Services/Haiti. The Diocese will collect all the parishes' donations and send a single check to Catholic Relief Services for disaster relief in Haiti... Keep Reading

[OpusatFR]

Several of the parishes in the Richmond Diocese have twin parishes in Haiti.

Great idea.

Also you can do an online donation to Food for the Poor, Catholic also. They can get the aid to Haiti fast since they are already present in the area and in Latin America.

[Tax-chick]

I sent a check to the Missionaries of the Poor today, and tomorrow one goes out to North Carolina Baptist Men’s Relief Service. They’ll have people in Haiti in a couple of days.

If our parish takes up a collection this weekend, we’ll donate to that also.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Any way to help—do it. You can make a donation to the Red Cross for Haiti and it will go there and no where else. This is a cause that rises above any politics or issues. People need food, water and shelter and they need it now. Let the world see what Americans are made of.

[Tax-chick]

I agree. People should contribute to any charity with a good reputation. The Salvation Army is always reliable, if one doesn’t have any others in mind. Americans will always help suffering people, even if nobody else does.

[Uri’el-2012]

Followers of the Christ will fill the Samaritans Purse

shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach

[mlizzy]

It would be nice if Sanjay Gupta, a surgeon, would stop yapping to Larry King Live, and help out in Haiti, for he just got done saying, “You know me, Larry, I’m a doctor first.” Is he having difficulties finding someone to help?

[SuziQ]

There are several Parishes in the Worcester Diocese which support a parish in Haiti. Our Parish is twinned with St. Michel Roche a Bateau (sp)

[cherry]

I got their number and instead of waiting, left a number and they called me back....easy and quick and no matter what Dave Ramsey says, I still like my credit card....