Parishes in the Diocese of Rochester recently collected $91,000 for areas affected by Hurricane Katrina and the June flooding in the Southern Tier, according to Doug Mandelaro, diocesan spokesman.
The money was raised through a special collection, which was held at diocesan parishes the weekend of Aug. 27-28. At the request of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, parishes nationwide took up special collections to aid the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the Diocese of Biloxi, Miss.
The diocese will send $22,750 to Tioga County, where a late-June flood created at least $17 million worth of damage and affected hundreds of people. The remaining $68,250 will be sent to the New Orleans Archdiocese, which is estimated to have more than $120 million in uninsured flood damage to buildings, and the Biloxi Diocese, which is estimated to have more than $70 million in damages to 428 of the 433 church-owned structures.
The USCCB also established a national collection in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. That collection raised $130 million, most of which was used for humanitarian relief. This latest collection will allow the archdiocese and the diocese to use their discretion in spending the funds to meet their recovery and rebuilding needs.
