PANJIM: Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Rev Filipe Neri Ferrao has issued a circular to all the parishes of Goa and Daman, requesting the people to pray and also to contribute generously towards the Caritas fund for the victims of recent floods throughout the country.
The Circular says, “We are all aware of the devastating floods that recently wreaked havoc in at least nine states of our country, resulting in an unprecedented loss of life and property. The death toll is nearing the 400 mark, with more than 47 lakh people displaced across thousands of relief camps in Assam, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala alone.”
“Flooding of this scale in the above-mentioned States has put whole communities, settlements, livestock and wildlife to a great risk. Our very own State of Goa and some other States like Gujarat, Maharashtra (including our neighbouring diocese of Sindhudurg). Tamil Nadu and Odisha have also faced the Nature’s fury”, the circular further states.
Appealing to the people, the Archbishop said, “In this hour of pain, we need to reach out to our brothers and sisters in distress, not only through our prayer, but also materially. The Church in Goa has been magnanimous in the past, when natural calamities of this nature have created havoc in the lives of whole population. Time has come to rise up again to the call of distress. Recalling the exhortation of St Paul, “Let love be genuine” (Rom. 12:9), let us respond to this great challenge and contribute to help the victims to return to their villages and reconstruct their lives.”
The Archbishop said, “Our Archdiocese is placed under the sign of the Good Samaritan during this Pastoral Year. I invite all people of good will to respond generously to this crisis situation and thus help provide relief and support to the affected people.”
Caritas India, the social service wing of the Church for humanitarian work, is already in the field, joining hands with government and other agencies to provide immediate relief and assistance to the affected people.
The Church in Goa welcomes generous monetary contributions. Cheques and demand drafts may be drawn in favour of Caritas Goa Emergency Calamities, A/c No. 520101219522622 at Corporation Bank, Panjim Branch (with a note that the amount is towards Floods 2019).
The same, along with cash donations, may be handed over to the respective parish priests or at the Caritas-Goa office, Instituto N.S. Piedade, Panjim, which will also receive any collections made in our churches, chapels or institutions, the circular added.
