Catholic response to Katrina relief

The Catholic Church, as has been her way for 2,000 years, is responding to the human suffering caused by Hurrican Katrina in Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi.

• The Knights of Columbus have made intitial funds available to state councils and are preparing to send more, while soliciting knights and the general public to donate. Donors in the United States should make checks payable to Knights of Columbus Charities USA, Inc. and send them to: Knights of Columbus Charities USA, Inc., Gift Processing Center, PO BOX 9028, Pittsfield, MA 01202-9028 Attn: Hurricane KATRINA Relief.

  Donors in Canada should make checks payable to Knights of Columbus Canada Charities, Inc., and send them to: Knights of Columbus Canada Charities, Inc., Gift Processing Center, PO BOX 7252, Station A, Toronto, ON, M5W 1X9 Attn: Hurricane KATRINA Relief.

  100% of donations go toward relief operations.

• Catholic Charities USA is collecting funds online, by mail at Catholic Charities USA, Hurricane Katrina, PO Box 25168, Alexandria, VA 22313-9788, or via phone at (800) 919-9338.

I’m thinking that on a spiritual level, people are going to be needing the Church more than ever in the coming weeks and the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the Diocese of Biloxi have been devastated, nearly wiped out. And the dioceses of Houma-Thibodaux, Baton Rouge, Jackson, and Mobile are heavily damaged or needing to pick up the slack. The pastoral need will be great, especially with so many churches destroyed. I think the Archdiocese of Boston should consider offering the liturgical items of closed parishes to those dioceses as they rebuild. I think it would be fitting.