N.O. archbishop pledges $50,000 in aid to victims
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NEW ORLEANS — Archbishop Alfred Hughes is pledging at least $50,000 in aid from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans to tropical cyclone survivors in Myanmar.
Hughes said collections taken as early as today at pastors’ discretion in more than 100 archdiocesan churches would supplement the gift, which will go to the overseas organization, Catholic Relief Services.
By one estimate, there are 1.5 million people needing assistance after the powerful May 3 cyclone and tidal surge that laid waste to coastal Myanmar, where the government has said an estimated 10,000 people died.
The Archdiocese of New Orleans said Catholic Relief Services had two envoys in Bangkok with permission to enter Myanmar, the nation formerly known as Burma. However, there also have been reports that the ruling military junta has seized incoming shipments of food and other aid and denied entry to aid workers.
Sarah Comiskey, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said Hughes is aware of the barriers, but is determined to make the donation.
“This is meant to be our show of solidarity for the people of Myanmar, knowing what we went through after Katrina,” Comiskey said, “and showing how grateful we are to those people who reached out to us.”
