Please support the national disaster fund

Published: October 1, 2020

All parishes in the Diocese of Little Rock will take up a special collection Oct. 3-4 or Oct. 10-11 to support disaster relief efforts from Hurricane Laura on the Gulf Coast, the wildfires in California and Oregon, and the other natural disasters that have occurred in the U.S. this year.

All donations collected will become part of the Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund and be used to support the efforts of Catholic Charities USA and/or Catholic Relief Services, the official relief agencies of the U.S. Catholic Church, as they and their local agencies respond to immediate emergency needs for such necessities as water, food, shelter and medical care and aid in long-term rebuilding and recovery efforts; and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for pastoral and reconstruction needs of the Church.

Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the USCCB, asked bishops across the country to consider taking up this voluntary special collection. "The traditional storm season has only just begun and already we have witnessed the devastating impact of Hurricane Laura and the California wildfires. Thousands of homes, businesses and churches have been severely damaged or destroyed, and the impacts will be long-lasting," he wrote in a letter to bishops.

“We offer our prayers to families who have lost loved ones, homes, and businesses. Archbishop Etienne, the chairman of our Committee on National Collections, has been in touch with several bishops to learn about their situations and to offer our prayers and our desire to be of assistance in this time of need.”

For more information, contact Dianne Brady, diocesan director of stewardship and development, at (501) 664-0340, ext. 391. Please be generous in your support.