Washington D.C., Sep 1, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The response from Catholic dioceses, communities and organizations to the devastation left behind by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast has been immediate and far-reaching.
Catholic Church facilities nationwide, and especially in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida and East Texas, have kicked into high gear and are responding to emergency and long-term needs by providing shelters, food, medicine and schooling for storm refugees.
Dioceses nationwide have planned parish collections for the first weekends of September. However, dioceses immediately surrounding the disaster zone have been actively helping the people in this desperate situation for days.
Help has come through diocesan organizations, Catholic Charities agencies, St. Vincent DePaul Societies, Catholic schools, Catholic hospitals, parishes, retreat centers and Catholic families. As well, individual parishioners have personally stepped up to the plate and opened their homes to storm refugees and provided room and board.