WASHINGTON, D.C. – Catholics in the United States Armed Forces and members of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, (AMS), have donated $63,383.39 in humanitarian assistance to victims of the August 2016 flood in heavily Catholic south Louisiana. The AMS sent the amount on January 27 to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), which will distribute the funds, along many other donations received from Catholic parishes nationwide, through Catholic Charities USA. The assistance will provide pastoral and rebuilding support to the impacted Louisiana dioceses.
The donations were taken up in a national special collection at Sunday Mass the weekend of Sept. 17-18. Catholic communities on U.S. Military installations worldwide took part.
The share offered by military Catholics came in response to an appeal by His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services.
In an August 24 letter to AMS-endorsed military chaplains and priests, Archbishop Broglio wrote:
“All of us have followed the flooding which occurred in Louisiana and we recognize the suffering that such devastation brings.
“People lose almost everything they have and lives must be rebuilt. For those who mourn loved ones killed in the flood we can only support them with our prayers.
“Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, President of the United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops, has asked that a special collection be taken up on the weekend of 18 September. To the extent that it is possible either to take up a special collection or to make a designated offering on that weekend, I would be grateful for your solidarity with those who suffer.”
The devatating flood following heavy rainfall across 20 Louisiana parishes resulted in at least 13 deaths and left more than 100,000 individuals and families in need of federal
disaster aid. At least 40,000 homes were damaged, many of them uninsured, with losses ranging in the billions of dollars.