As we go to press, we hear many reports of the devastation from the earthquake in Haiti. Our prayers and thoughts are with the Haitian people as they try to recover.
The Vatican has asked Catholic Relief Services, the official overseas aid and development agency of the United States Catholic Bishops, to coordinate Catholic efforts in aid and restoration in Haiti. Thank God CRS and other Catholic groups like Caritas were already in place there and ready to assist immediately. CRS already had its largest program in Haiti because of the four hurricanes in 2008.
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston requested that a second collection be taken up for Haiti at all the parishes on the Sunday immediately following the earthquake. The collection is being taken up in all the 19,584 Catholic parishes of the United States.
The Obama administration has granted temporary protected status to Haitians so that Haitian families in the United States can contribute to rebuilding of their country through their remit-tances. No new Haitians will be admitted to the program who arrive after January 12.
Houston Catholic Worker, Vol. XXX, No. 1, January-February 2010.
