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News From the Philippines
The following message comes from Donna Gaffney, Pontifical Mission Societies Diocesan Director, Colorado Springs:
“This is an update about the destruction from the typhoon I just received from one of our dear friends and a co-worker in the Philippines where my family did mission work.”
May 26, 2008
Dear Donna,
I am in Manila so I am able to open my mail box. It’s been a week since after the typhoon and we have no electricity, no land line, and no internet connection. Alaminos is affected. Other badly hit parishes include: Aguilar, Bugallon, Salasa, L:abrador, Sual, Mabini, Infanta, Eguia, partly Bolinas.
The two radio station towers went down, the roofs of the above Churches and convents were blown away (partly, electric posts went down, trees uprooted, many roofless homes. I have sent proposal to Child Fund Japan to rebuild 11 total homes and 34 partly damaged homes. There are many others in need of help but we can only attend to few.
I hope the government can also help. Food packages are distributed to some families. Tomorrow the sisters of Mother Theresa will come to distribute food packages. We do not only see devastation but also stories of miracles. In spite of the destruction to properties and livelihood, the people are safe. There are only about 39 deaths in 3 provinces. I will write you again next time. I have to hurry back to Alaminos tomorrow.
Let us be one in prayer.
Love, Ester
Congratulations!
The International Secretariat of the Pontifical Mission Society for the Propagation of the Faith announced that on May 24 Pope Benedict XVI appointed His Excellency, Monsignor Henryk Hoser, S.A.C., Bishop of Warsaw-Praga (Poland), retaining the personal title of Archbishop. Until now Archbishop Hoser served as Adjunct Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and President of the Pontifical Mission Societies.
The same day His Holiness named Monsignor Piergiuseppe Vacchelli, previously undersecretary of the Italian Episcopal Conference and President of the Committee for Charitable Services for Third World Nations, Adjunct Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and President of the Pontifical Mission Societies. He will be at the same time elevated to the dignity of Archbishop, of the Titular See of Minturno. |