More than $52,000 raised for victims
Parishes of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh raised $52,655 to help the victims affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Archbishop William Skurla requested special collections be taken in all churches on Sept. 16 to 17 and 23 to 24.
Funds collected were donated to Catholic Charities USA, the official domestic relief agency of the United States Catholic Church.
The organization and its agencies respond to immediate needs for necessities such as water, food, shelter and medical care as well as long-term needs to rebuild and recover from widespread destruction.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops requested the special collections be taken to support relief efforts. “We are all aware of the terrible devastation, heartbreak and destruction left behind by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. We pray in thanksgiving with those affected by the storms who survived with little or no loss or harm. And we also hold in prayer those who are suffering injury, damage to property or any other distress caused by this disastrous weather,” Archbishop William wrote in a letter to parishes.
Hurricane Harvey made landfall Aug. 25 on the Texas Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm and Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 10. According to a preliminary estimate from Moody’s Analytics, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma caused $150 to $200 billion damage in Texas and Florida.
