A letter from the Archbishop
To the Faithful of the Archdiocese of St. Louis:
The 2013 storm season has only just begun, and already we have witnessed a tragedy in Oklahoma of unprecedented proportions. As I write this letter, our prayers are with the families in Moore, Oklahoma and surrounding areas who have lost loved ones or are among those injured. Relief efforts of many government and social aid agencies, including Catholic Charities USA, are already in action delivering emergency service to the affected areas. We are grateful for all immediate relief efforts and those working around the clock to help those in need.
Unfortunately, devastating storms and natural dis-asters are becoming more and more commonplace. The Church must serve as a primary source of healing and peace when tragedies such as this occur.
Today I want to encourage all parishes in the Arch-diocese of St. Louis to take up a special collection during the month of June to assist in recovery efforts from the recent storms in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma and other natural disasters that the Church in this country may suffer this year.
Contributions will go to Catholic Charities of St. Louis, with funds being directed to Catholic Charities of Oklahoma City. You will find additional information at www.ccstl.org.
Finally, on the weekend of June 29-30, our parishes are scheduled to take up the Peter ’s pence Collection in support of the Holy Father. I urge you not to substitute one collection for the other, as the generosity of Catholics is widespread in response to individual needs.
With assurances of my prayerful best wishes and gratitude for your generous and timely response to the great needs we now face, I am
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Robert J. Carlson
Archbishop of St. Louis
To that end, we will conduct a second collection for the people in Oklahoma on the weekend of June 22-23. We do not have ‘envelopes’ for this, but if you would like us to keep track of your donation, please use an envelope with your name on it or use a separate check.