OCA faithful asked to join National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Hurricane Katrina victims Friday, September 16th

— His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, called upon the Church’s clergy and faithful to join in prayer on Friday, September 16, 2005, the date designated by US President George Bush as a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Metropolitan Herman has also accepted an invitation from the White House to attend a special prayer service at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on that day.

“Even before the hurricane hit the Gulf Coast, Metropolitan Herman had requested prayers from the faithful, asking them to be especially mindful of those who were in the storm’s direct line,” said the Very Rev. John Matusiak, OCA communications director. “Our prayers now turn to the thousands, known and unknown, who lost their lives or who have yet to be accounted for and the hundreds of thousands who, while spared personally, have lost their jobs, homes, and family members and who have been displaced in the aftermath of the catastrophe.”

In his proclamation, President Bush asked “that the people of the United States and places of worship mark this National Day of Prayer and Remembrance with memorial services and other appropriate observances” and encouraged “all Americans to remember those who have suffered in the disaster by offering prayers and giving their hearts and homes for those who now, more than ever, need our compassion and our support.”

Metropolitan Herman added that prayers also should be offered for the many Orthodox Christian faithful who have provided on-site assistance and ministry through the Baltimore-based International Orthodox Christian Charities [IOCC]. Immediately after the hurricane, IOCC dispatched teams to the region to assess needs. While no OCA communities were immediately affected by the storm, three parishes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and many of their members did sustain damage. Among those who are assisting with IOCC’s relief efforts is the Rev. David Garretson, rector of the OCA’s Saints Peter and Paul Church, South River, NJ. Father David was one of dozens of clergy and lay persons who, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, received special training as part of IOCC’s rapid response team.

Donations to assist hurricane relief efforts may be made directly to IOCC by logging on to the agency’s web site at www.iocc.org.