Dear
Parishioners,
Our Bishop has asked that we take up
a second collection this week-end to raise some money to be sent to the
Archbishop of Houston, Bishop DiNardo, who is faced with assisting thousands of
needy Catholics in his diocese. My hope
is that each of us will make some contribution in check or in cash. We will bundle the offerings and send them to
the chancery next week. Please be
generous.
Several of you have voiced your
concern that we raise money to assist those whose lives, homes, farms, ranches,
livestock have suffered from fires in Montana.
I fully understand your concern, and encourage us to respond. If any of you wants to assist me with that
collection, and advise me on to whom to send it, we will gladly take up this
collection in coming weeks. I will email
our Pastoral Center (chancery) in Great Falls, as they may well know how to use
such funds to assist the needy right here in fire-and-drought-ravaged Montana.
Furthermore, as of last evening,
there was a devastating earthquake in Mexico, and some of you may be inclined
to assist in some way. And now, very
pressing indeed, will be the devastation about to overtake much of the state of
Florida, and perhaps Georgia and the Carolinas.
We may be asked to give an offering to assist in these states as
well. Our finance council will discuss
ways to help.
We also offer our prayers, asking
that lives be spared, and that all the people involved heed the requests or
demands of state and local authorities to evacuate threatened areas. As we pray, we must act to the best of our
ability. So if possible, we will be
ready to assist in some practical / financial ways.
God bless and keep us all safe and
in His peace.
