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WASHINGTON (September 1, 2005)—Dioceses in Louisiana and Mississippi
face unparalleled devastation from Hurricane Katrina, reports from
bishops in several of the dioceses indicate.
The reports came in to the offices of the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops shortly after USCCB officials e-mailed and faxed the bishops of
Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama August 30 to
advise them that USCCB president, Bishop William Skylstad of Spokane
(WA), had called for a national collection and prayers in churches for
those afflicted by the disastrous hurricane.
Some bishops in the affected regions could not be reached.
“All the bishops of the United States are concerned for the number of
church personnel who are isolated, working under great adversity, and
perhaps not even aware that the whole rest of the country is praying for
them” Bishop Skylstad. “We don’t even know if all of them are safe.”
Bishops reporting to the USCCB indicated how much dioceses had been
affected.
The Dioceses of Shreveport and Baton Rouge, which are just far enough
north to have been spared from the storm, are working to accommodate
those displaced from the stricken areas, reported Bishop William Friend
of Shreveport.
Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes of New Orleans, who had to evacuate to Baton
Rouge, reported from a parish there. He said that, assisted by Louisiana
State Police, he has been going to visit shelters in the Baton Rouge,
area which has taken in 100,000 people from the New Orleans area.
Bishop Thomas J. Rodi of Biloxi, Mississippi, reached the USCCB by cell
phone and said 20 percent of the diocese’s churches and a third of its
schools have been destroyed. Every rectory, school, convent and diocesan
building sustained moderate to severe damage, he said. He was working
from his office where there was no water or electricity.
Bishop Terry Steib of Memphis was stranded in Bay St. Louis,
Mississippi, his office said. He was safe, but his car was destroyed.
The USCCB is in constant contact with Catholic Charities USA, located in
Alexandria, VA, which is working with Homeland Security and the local
diocesan Catholic Charities organizations to move relief supplies and
equipment into the areas which are accessible at this time.
Bishop Skylstad praised the response of Catholics to this tragedy and
encouraged them to continue their prayers and donations for the people
in these dioceses.
“Most of the dioceses are Home Mission dioceses, which struggle to
survive under the best of conditions,” he said. “They are the least able
to cope with this adversity.” Home Mission dioceses are those dioceses
which can not operate solely on local donations and rely on the support
of other dioceses to fund even basic pastoral life.
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