Help Still Needed To Rebuild Dioceses

The Diocese of Bridgeport will participate in the National Collection for Hurricane Recovery, a special second collection to be taken up at all Masses in every Catholic parish in the country, the weekend of August 26–27. The collection is intended for rebuilding efforts in the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the Diocese of Biloxi, Miss., still struggling to recover from the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita one year ago.

While the original national Catholic collection raised more than $130 million, largely for humanitarian relief, the needs for diocesan recovery in the regions are as great now as they were immediately after the storms that caused them.

In the Diocese of Biloxi, with only 70,000 Catholics, Bishop Thomas Rodi has reported that 428 of 433 Church-owned structures were destroyed or severely damaged, with more than $70 million damage sustained. While insurance will cover $35 million of this, the diocese remains uninsured by another $35 million.

In the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Archbishop Alfred Hughes estimates $52 million in uninsured flood damage on buildings they are attempting to reopen in the immediate future, and another $70 million uninsured flood damage on buildings that continue to have delayed openings.

“This collection [will give] the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the Diocese of Biloxi greater discretion in meeting the Church’s recovery and rebuilding needs within these two dioceses,” said Bishop William S. Skylstad, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. Sixty percent of the collection will be provided to the Archdiocese of New Orleans and 40 percent to the Diocese of Biloxi.