Washington D.C., May 17, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced last week that Catholic Relief Services has received over $150 million in donations—the largest amount ever collected in a single appeal—for the areas ravaged by last December’s tsunami.
USCCB president, Bishop William Skylstad said in a statement, that he is “proud of the generosity of our people…American Catholics are unlimited in their generosity to people in need.”
A report, released by Catholic Relief Services May 6th showed that thirteen diocese gave in excess of $1 million. These include the dioceses of Arlington (VA), Baltimore (MD), Boston (MA), Chicago (IL), Galveston-Houston (TX), Los Angeles (CA), Miami (FL), Milwaukee (WI), Philadelphia (PA), Pittsburgh (PA), Seattle (WA), St. Louis (MO) and St. Paul & Minneapolis (MN).
The USCCB said that the donations are being used to rebuild houses, schools and education systems, reestablish, agricultural and fishing infrastructures, and provide trauma counseling, vocational training and distribute food and medicine.