Bishop Felipe J. Estévez of the Diocese of St. Augustine will take up a special collection to support the victims of Hurricane Harvey and to provide pastoral and rebuilding support to impacted dioceses. The collection will be held in all 61 parishes and missions of the diocese the weekend of Sept. 9-10.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the families that have lost loved ones and to all who have lost homes and businesses along with their sense of peace and normalcy,” said Bishop Estévez. “We also stand with our brother bishops in the region who have the difficult task of providing pastoral care in these most trying times while also managing their own losses.”

Funds given to the collection will support the humanitarian and recovery efforts of Catholic Charities USA and will provide pastoral and rebuilding support to impacted dioceses through the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The hurricane has affected southeast Texas, including the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, and could also strike Louisiana.

“We are grateful to the first responders and countless volunteers who are assisting the Gulf Coast region in countless ways and keep them all in our thoughts and prayers,” Bishop Estévez said.

For more information on how the community can participate, contact Catholic Charities at (904) 899-5500 or email ahassell@ccbdosa.org. Or visit https://catholiccharitiesusa.org/.