wfn.org | ORTHODOX CHURCHES RESPOND IN AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE KATRINA

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
8-10 East 79th St. New York, NY 10021
Tel: (212) 570-3530 Fax: (212) 774-0215
Web: http://www.goarch.org
Email: communications@goarch.org

For Immediate Release
August 31, 2005

Contact: Dept. of Communications
Email: communications@goarch.org
Marissa Costidis â?? 732-522-1637 (cell)
Fr. Nektarios Morrow â?? 212-774-0506

ORTHODOX CHURCHES RESPOND IN AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE KATRINA

New York, NY â?? Following the devastating landfall of Hurricane Katrina on
the shores of the Gulf Coast, Orthodox Churches throughout the United
States and the world are responding to assist with the relief effort.  The
powerful storm hit portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama on
Monday.  Reports are stating that 80% of the city of New Orleans is
flooded, and power and communications systems are not functioning
throughout the region.

In response to the disaster, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America
called on all Orthodox faithful to offer their prayers and resources to
meet the needs of hundreds of thousands who have lost property and
livelihoods. In a special encyclical he stated:

"I write this letter on behalf of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese of America in the wake of the fatalities, heavy
damage, and trauma caused by Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Mississippi,
and Alabama.  This natural disaster has affected entire communities
throughout these States, and today many thousands of people are mourning
the painful loss of their loved ones, their homes, and their businesses as
a result of the violent storm.	As an Orthodox Christian community, our
first and foremost response must be a call to prayer for the eternal rest
of those who lost their lives and for comfort and strength to be granted by
the merciful God to those left behind.	Our prayers, however, must also be
joined by a tangible expression of material assistance, so that those
affected by this tragedy may receive the help that they need to recover
from this overwhelming catastrophe."

His Eminence called on all of the parishes of the Archdiocese to take
special relief collections on either Sunday, September 4 or Sunday,
September 11, to be sent to the Archdiocese for the â??Hurricane Katrina
Disaster Relief Fund.â??

Relief efforts are also being coordinated by International Orthodox
Christian Charities (IOCC), the humanitarian aid agency of the Standing
Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA).  IOCC
already has response teams working with parishes in the Gulf Coast area, as
well as coordinating the Orthodox relief efforts
with other private and government relief agencies like Church World
Services. More information on the relief efforts and needs of IOCC can be
found at www.iocc.org.

Donations are being steadily received through the web site of the
Archdiocese.  A special donation site has been established to allow
individuals to contribute directly to the Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief
Fund.  Donations to this fund will be used to address the needs of the
Greek Orthodox communities, as well as for assisting the general relief
effort.  Donations can be made at www.goarch.org/hurricanerelief/.

Further assistance is being coordinated through the efforts of Orthodox
parishes in the region.  The Annunciation Cathedral in Houston, Texas is
working with IOCC to determine immediate needs.  The school of the
Cathedral will be working with Houston area schools to assist with the
educational needs of students who may be displaced through the end of the
year.  The Saint George Church in Shreveport, Louisiana is also working
with IOCC and is coordinating an emergency hotline to help persons in the
area locate family members.  At the present time, the status of the Holy
Trinity Cathedral in New Orleans is not known, but the area where it is
located has experienced heavy flooding.

As more information on the relief effort becomes available, it will be
posted on the Archdiocese web site at www.goarch.org.