Statement by Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes about
the devastation of Hurricane Katrina
In the midst of the unprecedented devastation of Hurricane Katrina, I
offer to you, the faithful of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, my
sincerest prayer for your safety and the safety of your loved ones. We
have experienced an extreme human catastrophe of immense proportion. I
want to assure you that my brother priests and bishops are committed to
working with you as soon as feasible to address the rebuilding of our
beloved Church in the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
Our first concern is the rescue of people who are trapped in all
sections of the archdiocese. Our next priority is the collaborative work
of Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans, Catholic Community
Services of Baton Rouge and the American Red Cross to offer relief,
food, water and shelter and to help people who have been separated from
one another to regain communication.
I have met with a number of priests currently located in the Baton
Rouge area. Since we cannot return yet to significant segments of the
archdiocese, we are developing a pastoral plan to offer priestly
ministry for New Orleanians in areas where there is a significant
concentration of evacuees. This includes Baton Rouge, Alexandria,
Lafayette, Houston, Dallas and Atlanta. I urge you to make yourselves
known to the pastor where you are living and attending Mass. I also urge
priests who have not already done so to call into Father Than Vu,
director of priest personnel in Baton Rouge, at (225) 344-8595 with your
whereabouts. How incredibly important it is when we do feel overwhelmed
to recognize that nothing can separate us from the love of our God and
that he offers us the grace and power to respond. This is a moment for
us to pray for those who have been taken from our midst and for those
who are organizing and carrying out the rescue and recovery operations.
At this moment it is very important that we take to heart the words
of St. Paul that for those who love God, everything works together for
the good. Our resources are limited, but our people are innumerable. If
we can mobilize and partner and enable people to reach out and care for
one another, the possibilities are limitless that can be reached. I am
convinced that God is going to work things in a way that counteracts the
terrible suffering people are experiencing.
In the wake of such massive destruction, I have decided to launch a
satellite office in Baton Rouge to make key decisions about restoring
social services and rebuilding schools and churches in the Archdiocese
of New Orleans. This is very important because we need to begin to
organize both our immediate short-term response and our more long-term
response. Obviously, we face extreme devastation, the likes of which we
have not felt in this country since the War Between the States.
I am meeting daily with our key archdiocesan personnel to determine
how best to respond to the crisis and to assess damage reports, which
have not yet come in because of sporadic communications. We do know
through media reports that the death toll will be high, and we pray for
the repose of the souls of those who have been lost and for their
families.
Through Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans and other
archdiocesan agencies we are partnering with Catholic Community Services
of Baton Rouge, the American Red Cross and FEMA and others in our local
community to bring relief from hunger and thirst and to provide
counseling for those who have been forced to evacuate.
One of the major issues we face is restoring our Catholic school
system. On Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 10 a.m. in the Catholic Life Center of
the Diocese of Baton Rouge (1800 South Acadian Thruway), our schools
Superintendent Father William Maestri will meet with all available
school administrators, teachers and support personnel to discuss the
transition and recovery. More information on the schools’ recovery is
available on this Web site.
Another major issue is setting up a payroll plan for employees who
are now scattered over several states. A significant percentage of our
archdiocesan, parish and school employees are paid through paper checks,
and their whereabouts are unknown. It is critical that all these
employees who are paid through a paper payroll check contact the
toll-free archdiocesan hotline 1-888-366-5024 and give the operators the
information needed to verify employment, along with a current mailing
address. These employees also may contact the Archdiocese through the
Web site www.archdiocese-no.org, which will be updated regularly. Please
use the Web site to get the latest information on the Archdiocese of New
Orleans. With people spread out over such a large geographic area, the
goal is to regularly update the Web site with key information on
policies and news items. As a first step to assist you we are pledging
full payment for this month. Further information will be made available
as decisions are clear.
God bless you and your families during these challenging weeks and
months ahead. Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us. |