After Hurricane Michael tore through Florida’s panhandle, people in the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee are in desperate need of supplies and service. Three Catholic schools in Gainesville teamed up to answer the call of a parish in our neighboring diocese.

Students from Saint Francis Catholic Academy, St. Patrick Interparish School and Queen of Peace Academy came together to collect donations for St. Dominic Catholic Church.

Much of St. Dominic church was destroyed from Hurricane Michael. However, The Grotto of the church somehow remained untouched by the devastation, which is where the parish has been holding Masses and special events, such as weddings, since the devastation occurred.

Will Powell, a St. Francis math and social sciences teacher, Melissa Montrowl, a St. Patrick English teacher, Kimberly Toussaint, a

St. Patrick theology teacher and Sylvia Willis, a UF agricultural graduate student, all drove up to Panama City to deliver the donations to St. Dominic church Saturday, Oct. 20.

Supplies collected by students included hundreds of toiletry items and baby goods, blankets, gently used clothes and numerous books.