Bishop Dennis Sullivan sent the following letter to priests of the Diocese of Camden on Nov. 12, asking them to take up a special collection to support the humanitarian efforts of Catholic Relief Services in responding to devastation in the Philippines.
Dear Monsignor/Father:
Over the past few days one of the most powerful storms ever recorded destroyed entire villages and devastated cities across the Philippines. The numbers of the dead and the millions affected by the storm are staggering. The full extent of the structural damage is still unknown.
I am writing to you from the fall meeting of the United States Conference in Baltimore. At the General Session yesterday the bishops called for a response to this tragedy from Catholics across the country. As Catholics, we mourn the terrible suffering of those affected by Typhoon Haiyan and we want to assist.
I ask you to encourage our people to contribute to a Special Collection this coming weekend. The funds will be used to support the humanitarian efforts of Catholic Relief Services and for the rebuilding of the infrastructure of the parishes, schools, catechetical centers, clinics, etc. in the dioceses impacted by the storm.
Catholic Relief Services has already begun to embark on a major emergency response and will continue to respond with immediate needs for water, food, shelter and medical care and eventually assist in the long term recovery from the disaster. CRS is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic Church in the United States. As was done at the time of the earthquake in Haiti, a percentage of the funds collected will also be used to support the long-term need to rebuild the church in those areas of the Philippines that have been affected.
The help of the Catholic community in the United States is desperately needed. I urge you to arrange a collection in your parish, if possible, this weekend. The weekend before Thanksgiving, Nov. 23-24, is scheduled for the annual collection for CCHD (Catholic Campaign for Human Development). I ask that you NOT substitute one collection for another as the CCHD collection is necessary for the ability of the church in our country to fight the roots of poverty in the USA.
I thank you for your attention to this and ask that you express my gratitude to our parishioners who are always ready to respond in whatever way they can to tragedies such as what we are witnessing in the Philippines. The people of this diocese are very generous. May God bless them and you.
Sincerely in Christ,
Most Reverend Dennis J. Sullivan, D.D.
Bishop of Camden
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Prayer for the Philippines
Provided by Catholic Relief Services
God, who quiets great winds and stills rough seas
We ask your protection for the people of the Philippines.
Comfort them in their fear.
Stay close to them in their danger.
And we ask the intercession of Your Blessed Mother
That together with her and with all your holy saints
We may stand in solidarity with our Filipino brothers and sisters
through their darkest hour
through their longest night.
Give us the courage to remain steadfast
To reach out to them in their need
To comfort them in their sorrow
To hold them as closely as You hold them
To see them through to morning.
Amen.
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