wfn.org | Orthodox Church in America Appeal Hurricane Katrina Victims

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

MEDIA RELEASE / ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA
PO Box 675
Syosset, New York 11791-0675

Contact: The Very Rev. John Matusiak
OCA Communications Director
630-668-3071
info@oca.org or tocmed@aol.com
www.oca.org

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ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA ISSUES APPEAL FOR HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS

SYOSSET, NY [OCA Communications] -- In a letter dated August 31, 2005, 
Metropolitan Herman, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, appealed to 
the Church's faithful to "give sacrificially" to help the many individuals 
and families in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama devastated by Hurricane 
Katrina.

In order to maximize relief efforts, Metropolitan Herman asks that the 
faithful send their donations directly to the Baltimore-based International
Orthodox Christian Charities, which has already dispatched teams to the 
affected region.

Contributions may be sent to the IOCC "Hurricane Relief," PO Box 630225, 
Baltimore, Maryland, 21263-0225, or by calling IOCC's toll-free donation
hotline (877-803-4622).  On the memo line of your checks, please make the 
notation "Hurricane Relief/OCA."

The complete text of Metropolitan Herman's appeal follows below and appears 
on the OCA web site at www.oca.org.
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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Several days ago, as we awaited the arrival of Hurricane Katrina, we called 
upon the faithful to pray that those in the direct line of the storm would 
be spared.  Initial reports indicated that the hurricane's devastation had 
perhaps been less than anticipated, especially as the eye of the storm 
bypassed the city of New Orleans.  Within 48 hours, however, it became 
evident that the Mississippi and Alabama coasts had borne the brunt of the 
storm, that New Orleans had experienced massive damage as a result of 
broken levees and rising water levels, and that severe - and in some cases 
total - destruction of property had become widespread throughout the region.

Of utmost concern, however, is the well-being of those who have suffered, 
and continue to suffer, in ways hard to imagine.  Hundreds of thousands of 
people, many of them among the nation's poorest, have lost everything - 
their homes, their possessions, their access to food and water and life's 
basic essentials, and in a growing number of instances, their loved 
ones.  Countless others still wait to be rescued, hoping to avoid the fate 
of those who perished because they lacked the means to evacuate their homes 
or because they simply had nowhere to go.  The most recent reports project 
that hundreds, if not thousands, have lost their lives, even as the hopes 
of those who escaped the worst rapidly diminishes.

While Hurricane Katrina itself was nothing less than catastrophic, its 
aftermath and its effect on the lives of so many is nothing short of 
horrible.  How, many ask, are those most affected by the storm and its 
aftermath to find the comfort of God?  To whom can they turn in their hour 
of need?

My dear brothers and sisters:  We are now being called upon to provide the 
hope, comfort, and love of God.  As God's People, we are being challenged 
to offer our prayers and to share our treasures with those who have lost 
everything.  To the extent that we render thanks to God for sparing us from 
this tragedy - and for sparing our parishes in the region from serious 
damage - we also are being called upon to share with those who must rely on 
our generosity, and the generosity of all people of faith, in an effort to 
rebuild not only their homes, but most importantly, their lives.

In response to the challenge to serve others, especially the least of the 
brethren, I call upon our faithful, our parishes, our deaneries, and our 
dioceses to make yet another sacrifice for others by contributing to the 
Hurricane Disaster Response Fund that has been established by International 
Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC).  It is hoped that all parish 
communities will take a special collection in the immediate future.  Your 
generous expressions of concern and hope will be channeled through IOCC, 
which has already dispatched teams to the most affected areas and has the 
means to maximize your donations and expressions of concern.

I pray that you will join me in offering a ray of hope to those who have 
experienced unimaginable suffering and loss, and who are likely to continue 
to experience personally the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina for months and 
years to come.	Anticipating your generous response, I thank you, and I ask 
that God bless you abundantly, to the extent that you share your blessings 
with those in need.

With love in Christ,

+HERMAN
Archbishop of Washington and New York
Metropolitan of All America and Canada

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