Metropolitan Herman calls upon faithful to offer aid to Katrina victims
— In a letter dated August 31, 2005, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, called upon the Church’s faithful to “give sacrificially” to efforts aimed at relieving the suffering of the hundreds of thousands of individuals in Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi victimized by Hurricane Katrina.
“While Hurricane Katrina itself was nothing less than catastrophic, its aftermath and its effect on the lives of so many is nothing short of horrible,” Metropolitan Herman wrote. “How, many ask, are those most affected by the storm and its aftermath to find the comfort of God? To whom can they turn in their hour of need?”
In an effort to maximize relief efforts, the faithful are being asked to send their donations directly to the Baltimore-based International Orthodox Christian Charities [IOCC], which has already dispatched teams to the affected area and is monitoring the rapidly deteriorating situation there.
“As God’s People, we are being challenged to offer our prayers and to share our treasures with those who have lost everything,” Metropolitan Herman concluded. “To the extent that we render thanks to God for sparing us from this tragedy - and for sparing our parishes in the region from serious damage - we also are being called upon to share with those who must rely on our generosity, and the generosity of all people of faith, in an effort to rebuild not only their homes, but most importantly, their lives.”
OCA faithful are asked to send their donations to IOCC “Hurricane Relief,” PO Box 630225, Baltimore, Maryland, 21263-0225. Contributions may also be made by calling IOCC’s toll-free donation hotline at 877-803-4622.