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Mostly Cloudy RVC diocese gives to Haiti
Bishop Murphy urges Catholics to donate
In addition to Nassau County’s efforts, the Diocese of Rockville Centre, and the Catholic Church as a whole, has rallied to aid the people of Haiti after the devastating magnitude 7 earthquake on Jan. 12.
Because more than half of the residents of Haiti are Catholic, the Church has asked all of its members to donate money to aid the earthquake victims. Bishop William Murphy, head of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, asked that a special collection be taken for the earthquake victims last weekend and this weekend.
“We also keep in our prayers, people of our own diocese who are concerned for family in Port-au-Prince or in the surrounding areas,” Murphy said in a release. “I ask the People of God on Long Island to pray for the victims. I also ask for their generosity in sharing God’s gifts with those in need as result of this tragic event.”
The diocese will work with the Papal offices and organizations like Catholic Relief Services to make sure all the money collected goes to worthy and reputable organizations.
“The primary need right now is financial,” said Sean Dolan, director of communications for the Diocese. “We know that’s how we can help the best—by providing financial resources.”
Dolan said the diocese will not know for a few weeks exactly how much money was raised. However, he expects it to be a large amount.
“Millions of dollars were collected for the [2004 Asian Tsunami] when we had something similar,” Dolan said. “I think everyone’s been moved by the situation there, so I do expect the diocese to live up to its generous history.”
To contribute to the Diocese of Rockville Centre’s Haitian Relief Fund, parishioners are asked to contact their local parish or send their donation to the Chancellor’s Office, Diocese of Rockville Centre, P.O. Box 9023, Rockville Centre, NY 11571-9023. Checks should be made out to the Diocese of Rockville Centre. "Earthquake Relief” should be marked in the memo section of the check. For more information call 516-678-5800, ext. 583 or e-mail chancellor@drvc.org.
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