Aid for Canadian Victims of Ice Storm: Letter from Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte

Monday, January 19 1998

Most Reverend Gerald Wiesner, OMI
Bishop of Prince George
Vice President
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
P. O. 7000 2935
Highway 16 West
Prince George, British Colombia V2N 3Z2

Dear confrere:

At the beginning of our recent meeting of the Permanent Council in Ottawa on January 14, as well as in your letter dated January 16, you reassured me of the prayers and sympathy of the Bishops of Canada following the recent ice storm with its disastrous consequences for the people of Quebec, Eastern Ontario and the Atlantic.

This third major tragedy to hit our country, following the floods in the Saguenay region of Quebec and then in Manitoba, is so extensive that we cannot even begin to know the total amount of damage involved. The solidarity of the pastors of the Church in Canada touch me deeply.

In the name of my brother bishops whose dioceses are also suffering under the same catastrophe, I wish to express my profound gratitude. May the Lord come to our aid, give strength and courage to those suffering this tribulation, and support the efforts of all those working to restore the electric power lines!

Dioceses, parishes, religious communities and other Church organizations that want to send material and financial assistance to the victims of the four provinces affected can send their contributions to “Operation Winter Storm” which is being organized by the Canadian Red Cross. The Red Cross has four toll-free numbers to assist in this operation:

Thank you again, Bishop Wiesner, for this fine gesture of solidarity.

Sincerely in Our Lord,

+ Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte
Archbishop of Montreal
President
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops