Dear Parishioners:
We had a grand send-off for Sister Emma last Sunday. I am grateful to all those who helped with the Farewell Reception. Our Franciscan Apostolic Sisters are now in Lincoln, Nebraska. They will be there for the next two weeks to attend community meetings and make a retreat. Please keep them in your prayers that their time together is fruitful and productive. May they return home to OLM, safe and sound, in August.
Fire and Rescue respond to the Texas Flood.
The floods in Texas on the July Fourth Holiday caused significant destruction and devastation in Central Texas' scenic Hill Country. The storms dumped over 10 inches of rain in some areas, causing the Guadalupe River to rise roughly 30 feet within 45 minutes. Sadly, 130 people died and nearly 180 are still missing.
In the wake of such a disaster, there is a great need for help for the many victims. Communities across Texas have begun to rally with donations and volunteer efforts, and Catholic churches from west to east Texas continue to mobilize relief for the flood victims.
These floods, the worst since 1921, have left many in pain and sorrow but also in great need of assistance and help. Catholic Charities Mobile Relief Units are on the ground, providing food, clothing, hygiene kits, and water to those in need. Many Catholics in the region have been stepping up to help, converging on Notre Dame Parish in Kerrville, of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, located in the hardest-hit community along the Guadalupe River. San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller visited Notre Dame on the day of the flooding and met with families who had lost loved ones or whose loved ones were still missing.
San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller comforts victims of the Texas Flood.
Notre Dame Catholic Church was filled with worshippers for Sunday Mass, and many shared stories of their loss with the Archbishop. "One woman told me that her sister and her family, including four children, were missing," he recounted. Another said that while she and her family had survived the flooding, their home had been swept away.
In times of suffering, we are not distant observers but are called to be in solidarity with those who suffer. The pain of families in Kerr County, whose children vanished into floodwaters at Camp Mystic, is our pain. Solidarity means more than just our prayers and good wishes; it also involves practical charitable support. Texas Game Wardens, Mexican search crews, FEMA officials, Catholic Charities workers, and local volunteers have given us a glimpse of what it looks like to live in solidarity. It is in the sharing of resources and in the act of risking one's own safety for the sake of another.
The Church calls us to care first for the most vulnerable. This flood struck the most vulnerable: children at camp, elderly residents in low-lying neighborhoods, and workers whose homes were built too close to danger because they could afford nothing else. I urge you to support the efforts of Catholic Charities USA in responding in the aftermath of this disaster. In the bulletin, you will find how to donate to the Catholic Charities Texas Flood Relief Fund. You can also make a check payable to OLM Outreach with "Texas Flood" in the memo. We will forward any donations to OLM Outreach directly to Catholic Charities USA for their flood relief efforts. Thank you for your support and solidarity.
Let us pray for the dead and the grieving and all those suffering from the devastation and destruction of the flood. The Archdiocese of San Antonio has written A Special Prayer for Flood Victims: "God of Mercy and Shelter, in this time of devastation and loss, we lift up our hearts to You. Be close to all who suffer from the flooding in our communities. Embrace those who mourn, shelter the displaced, strengthen the weary, and inspire all of us to offer loving assistance to those in need. Through the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Anthony of Padua, may our Church be a beacon of hope and solidarity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen."
We have surpassed our goal for the Catholic Charity Appeal this year. We raised a record $276,000 from 449 parishioners! In the name of the poor and needy who benefit from the Appeal, I thank you for your generosity. Be well. Do good. God Bless. Go Sox!