By Team ICM –
The state of Kerala is going through a difficult phase with rains unrelenting in its fury – lashing its cities, towns and villages; leaving behind a trail of destruction of an unprecedented nature. There has been huge loss of lives, livelihood, property and belongings.
The Catholic Church is already out in the field through her Wing of Mercy and Charity, Caritas India. The local Bishops, Clergy, Religious Sisters and lay volunteers too are involved in relief and succour operations. In different dioceses, Church authorities have opened church schools and other institutions to the displaced people, and are distributing food, clothes and other relief materials. Many parishes, schools and other Church institutions have become the centres of aid and assistance to people in need.
Kerala needs your support. Please reach out to churches, government, relief organisations in the state to provide support – be it cash or kind.
Catholic Church officials are working overtime to rehabilitate the affected people, mostly village farmers who have been displaced or have lost their homes and crops, said Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese apostolic administrator Bishop Jacob Manathodath. “The Church should do everything possible to alleviate their hardship,” he added.
Church has joined local authorities in accommodating people displaced by floods, landslides and the opening of the dams. Father Abhilash Chirambikkunnel, an official of Thamaraserry Diocese, said officials were providing schools and other church institutions to accommodate people in Kozhikode and Wayanad districts.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) in a press note has expressed its profound grief and sorrow at the unprecedented floods affecting Kerala, causing heavy loss of lives and damage to crops, houses, cattle and property.
Over 70 people are reported to have lost their lives and thousands of people have been evacuated and moved to rehabilitation camps. Economic and collateral losses to people and their livelihood are huge though still to be effectively calculated. “We share the anguish of the people affected by this huge natural disaster and we wish to express our closeness to them,” said Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, SFX, Secretary General, CBCI.
“While trying to help people in the affected areas without discrimination of faith, or class, wherever it is possible for us to reach out, we appeal to people of good will all across the country and elsewhere to come to the aid of our suffering brethren. We are also concerned about the health situation in the affected areas. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India expresses its ardent desire to work with the Government and all like-minded agencies to provide relief and help in all possible ways to the suffering people,” said Bishop Mascarenhas.
“The Catholic Bishops’ Conference appreciates the quick and efficient relief work undertaken by the local and State Government authorities. We also appreciate the strong and immediate support being provided by the Union government in the relief operations,” Bishop Mascarenhas added,
The solidarity manifested and the help being provided cutting across political divides and religious or class belongingness is exemplary. “We salute the noble spirit of the people of Kerala as they valiantly battle the challenges faced by them in this critical and difficult time. The Catholic Church condoles the death of its brothers and sisters who were caught unaware as nature’s fury took hold of large parts of Kerala. We express our solidarity with the injured and the suffering,” Bishop Mascarenhas added.
Never before has the state witnessed a calamity of this scale. Make a difference by joining the rebuilding efforts. Contribute generously to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.
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