PASTORAL LETTER on PHILIPPINE DISASTER Dear Friends, Many people have been sending me their prayers for the victims of the recent Philippine Disaster and asking how they can help. My parish is setting a Philippine Disaster Fund. My hometown Tacloban, LEYTE was directly hit by the deadly typhoon. It was more powerful than Katrina that hit US a few years ago. The places you see on TV are familiar to me. The devastation was horrendous. About 10,000 are now reported dead. Cadavers are just lining up on the road waiting for the government (Department of Health) to give them decent burial. Local priests who themselves are victims are busy praying and blessing the dead. People just place the bodies in the nearby roofless church and leave them there. Many places have not been reached by rescue teams. I just had a call from my family this morning after 4 days of waiting. Thanks God they are alive, although their houses were destroyed. My sister a nurse from New York who is on holidays joined a team of volunteers to search for bodies. In my village (PHHC of seaside) of a cluster of 100 concrete homes, 22 bodies were found. They all put them in our church of St. Jude. I personally know these people. I just saw the photos posted in the facebook. The scenes are gruesome. I am contacting my former Redemptorist Church and other churches in Taclaban to coordinate relief help to victims. Donations will be greatly appreciated. It will go directly to the people and NOT to corrupt politicians and government officials who are taking advantage of the situation. British and Filipino groups in UK have started fund raising to help the victims. You can send a cheque addressed to PRCDTR Southampton St Patrick or to me Fr. CLARO CONDE Bank Transfer Bank: LLOYDS TSB BANK PLC Palmerston Rd South Sea Account Name: PRCDTR Southampton St Patrick Account Number 00888665 Sort Code: 30-93-04 Purpose: Philippine Disaster Fund REGISTERED CHARITY : 246871 Maraming Salamat (Thank You) Fr. Claro V Conde St. Patricks Church 45 Portsmouth Rd Southampton SO19 9BD 07803191502
Posted on: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 12:40:03 +0000