Catholic Extension Parish Partners Steadily Rebuilding Gulf Coast Churches
Parish Partnership Program Distributes $1 Million in Aid, Expands Outreach and Launches New Web Site
Two years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita displaced thousands and destroyed countless homes and churches, a program of the Catholic Church Extension Society has been making steady progress to revitalize parish life and restore hope to the devastated Gulf Coast.
Catholic Extension's Parish Partnership Program was created in September 2005 to provide a central place to coordinate donations and volunteers from churches around the country who wanted to help the recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast. Since then, 317 donor parishes from 113 different dioceses enrolled in the program have sent approximately $1 million to help their Parish Partners.
Catholic Extension President Father Jack Wall made a recent visit to Mississippi and Louisiana and experienced mixed emotions about the devastation and rebuilding. "You realize, amid all the heartbreaking destruction that still exists, that the Church is the place where people go. It's a rallying point for people, and the hope, care, and compassion that you see are very impressive," he said. "If New Orleans is going to be rebuilt, it is going to be done largely through the efforts of the Church and programs like our Parish Partnership Program which joins great people who are compelled to respond to great need."
A Catholic Extension survey of 113 of the most seriously affected Catholic churches in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and the Dioceses of Biloxi, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Houma-Thibodaux and Beaumont found the following:
59 have been restored and reopened, 4 are open while repairs are ongoing, 6 are holding services in temporary quarters such as the parish center or modular buildings, and 44 are closed either permanently (because they were completely washed away) or until enough parishioners return.
A "parish-friendly" website experience
Catholic Extension has now launched a new website ttp://www.parishpartnership.org/ that will make it even easier for donor parishes and their parishioners to connect with their Parish Partners or to sign up. This is especially helpful as the program recently broadened its outreach efforts. In addition to the Gulf Coast parishes that still need help, the program also includes struggling pasrishes in other mission areas of the country. There are currently 120 mission parishes in need of a Parish Partner.
"The Parish Partnership Program provides a unique opportunity for parishes to connect with mission parishes that urgently need their help," said Father Wall. "These invaluable partnerships will undoubtedly impact the lives of all those who participate, and our new website for the program should serve as an important resource for all new and existing partnerships."
The website features an interactive map of mission parishes where visitors can read more about the conditions and challenges facing these faith communities that need outside assistance to survive. The site serves as a central point for Parish Partners to share stories and photographs, as well as access important resources for establishing and maintaining a lasting partnership. Through this site, inquiring parishes can learn how the program works and register online.
"An aspect of the program that is so important is its built-in flexibility," said Parish Partnership Program Director Bridget Monahan. "A parish can decide the type, duration and extent of support, whether it be a one-time gift or ongoing relationship. We facilitate communication, coordination and accountability of Parish Partners -- and donors can be assured that 100% of all funds will be distributed as directed by them."
Parish Partners: Fine examples of stewardship
Parishioners of St. Eleanor in Collegeville, Pa., made it a special Christmas for the children of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish and its school, St. Vincent de Paul, in Long Beach, Miss., where the church and buildings were completely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
St. Eleanor's schoolchildren collected Christmas gifts for every child in pre-K through 6th grade so that they might receive one or more wrapped gifts. St. Eleanor parishioners arrived at the school (a former skating rink that now serves as the church and school) donning Santa hats and visited each classroom to distribute the gifts to the excited and greatly appreciative group of children. The Pennsylvania parish is already making plans to host the same program this Christmas.
St. Paul Parish in Florence, Ky., put its stewardship to action on behalf of the hurricane-damaged parishes on the Gulf. It was among the first to become a Parish Partner in November 2005 and has sent more than $25,000 to help Our Lady of Prompt Succor in Chalmette, La. The parish printed special envelopes and included reports from their Parish Partner in the bulletin to keep the needs of the devastated Gulf Coast parishes on the minds of its parishioners.
And parishioners at Our Lady of Lourdes in DePere, Wis., partnered with St. Leo the Great in New Orleans, La., making two service trips to help the parish get back on its feet. For each trip to New Orleans, a group of women from the parish brought handmade quilts. St. Leo's parishioners were moved by such generosity and thoughtfulness.
"We are deeply gratified by the support and outreach of Catholics across the country to do their part in helping their brothers and sisters in need," Father Wall said. "And now, with the expansion of the program and our interactive website, more people are learning about the many Americans who struggle to live their faith in mission areas."
ABOUT CATHOLIC EXTENSION:
For more than 100 years, the Chicago-based Catholic Church Extension Society has supported Catholic missions in the U.S. by funding church construction, religious education and seminary formation, campus and outreach ministries, evangelization, and salaries for missionaries. Catholic Extension is the leading supporter of Catholic missions in the U.S. and has distributed more than $450 million over its history.