Canadian Catholics Invited to Respond Generously to Help Victims of Catastrophe in Southeast Asia
Friday, December 31 2004(CCCB – Ottawa) … The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is organizing a special national collection on 9 January 2005 to assist those regions in Southeast Asia devastated by the recent tsunami.
Most Reverend Brendan M. O'Brien, Archbishop of St. John's and President of the Conference, has invited the Catholic Bishops of Canada to encourage all parishes to participate in the national collection. It is hoped that Canada's 13 million Catholics will respond once again in generosity and solidarity to those in need. The appeal is for monetary donations only.
The results of the national collection will be added to contributions also being made by various Catholic agencies. Among these are the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, the international development agency established by the Catholic Bishops of Canada in 1967, which has already sent $100,000 in emergency aid. The funds raised by the 9 January national collection are to be sent directly to Development and Peace.
Development and Peace is a member of Caritas Internationalis, a Catholic international aid network based in Rome. Active in over 200 countries and regions, Caritas has already sent $1.6 million in emergency aid to Southeast Asia.
Catholic Church agencies in Canada are actively involved in a number of humanitarian causes. Earlier in 2004, Canadian Catholics organized regional collections to assist communities in Haiti that had been hit by hurricanes.
More information on the national collection for Southeast Asia is available on the website of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops: www.cccb.ca.
Donations can be made to Development and Peace by phoning its toll-free number 1 888 664-3387 or on-line at www.devp.org.
For More Information Contact:
Sylvain Salvas
Director, Communications Service
Tel: (613) 241-9461
Fax: (613) 241-9048
salvas@cccb.ca