Dear Friends:
This past Saturday, August 14th, an earthquake struck Haiti causing enormous damage and resulting in a significant loss of life.
(This message may also be read in Spanish, Portuguese or French)
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) announced that it “is sending teams to provide clean water, sanitation, shelter and emergency supplies in response to a major earthquake that struck southern Haiti early Saturday morning. While the severity of the damage is still being determined, with communications down in parts of the country, hundreds of deaths have already been reported as well as extensive damage to buildings and homes.”
Recognizing the suffering of the Haitian people and growing need for assistance, Cardinal Seán has asked that a special collection for Catholic Relief Services and the Church in Haiti be taken the weekends of August 21-22 or August 28-29 in all parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston.
The parishes of the Archdiocese of Boston have consistently stepped forward during times of natural disasters to assist our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world. Following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, where CRS reports “more than 300,000 people were killed and another 1.3 million left without homes”, the parishioners of the Archdiocese generously raised more than $2 million for relief efforts.
To process this collection, please ask parishioners to address their checks to your parish, with “Haiti Earthquake Relief” in the memo.
One check should be sent from the parish, payable to the Archdiocese of Boston, with “Haiti Earthquake Relief” in the memo. Please send checks to:
Attn: Cashier, c/o Haiti Earthquake Relief
Archdiocese of Boston Pastoral Center
66 Brooks Drive
Braintree, MA 02184-3839
On behalf of the Cardinal, thank you for your attentiveness to this important collection and expression of our solidarity with those who are suffering.
Fraternally yours in Christ,
Very Rev. William P. Joy
Assistant Vicar for Administration
Special Assistant to the Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia