Bishop Patrick Neary, C.S.C., asked parishes to take up a special collection for earthquake relief this weekend, Feb. 25-26, or the weekend of March 4-5.
“As you know, regions of Turkey and Syria were struck by massive earthquakes earlier this month that killed more than 47,000 people and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes,” Bishop Neary said in a Feb. 23 letter to priests of the diocese. “Images of the wounded and rubble are heart-wrenching.”
In a statement following the disaster, Bishop David Malloy of Rockford, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, called for prayers and help for those in need.
“In a region that has experienced much conflict and hardship, these heartbreaking scenes call out to us to provide aid and assistance to our brothers and sisters in need. I call upon the faithful to give generously to Catholic Relief Services and the Catholic Near East Welfare Association who are working to provide emergency humanitarian relief.”
Funds collected will be sent to Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Near East Welfare Association.
Pictured above: Earthquake survivors sit and talk in front of destroyed buildings in Antakya, Turkey, Feb. 20, 2023. A new earthquake struck the border area between Turkey and Syria the night of Feb. 20, sparking fear and anxiety for people already bereft and for those helping them since the devastating Feb. 6 earthquake. At least six people were reported killed in the new quake. (OSV News photo/Eloisa Lopez, Reuters)