Catholics urged to come to typhoon victims’ aid

Church leaders have urged local Catholics to make donations to Typhoon Ketsana victims in central Vietnam dioceses, and to pray for them.

A woman sits by her home reduced to rubble by the typhoon

“I would like to call on all priests, Religious and Catholics in the archdiocese’s 200 parishes to reduce your expenses … and generously help victims who are in utter misery so they can return to normal life soon,” Cardinal Jean Baptiste Pham Minh Man of Ho Chi Minh city said in his Oct. 1 message.

Cardinal Man also quoted from 2 Corinthians 9:7. “Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

The 75-year-old cardinal, whose message was read during Masses on Oct. 4, asked Catholics to send their donations to the archdiocese’s office by Oct. 11. He said the donations would be sent to storm victims in the worst-hit dioceses in central Vietnam.

According to official figures, the Sept. 29 typhoon has left 159 people dead, 15 missing and 629 injured. The powerful typhoon hammered Da Nang city and 12 provinces causing widespread flooding and damage.

In all, 497,984 houses, 5,200 schools and 12,600 health care centers and public facilities collapsed or were destroyed. About 100,000 hectares of rice and other crops were also damaged. The official estimate of total damage is around 14,300 billion dong (US$812 million).

Bishop Dominic Nguyen Chu Trinh of Xuan Loc, head of Caritas Vietnam, in an Oct. 1 message to local Catholics, said his organization provided emergency aid relief to affected dioceses. Hue archdiocese and the three dioceses of Da Nang, Kontum and Quy Nhon were given 200 million dong each, Vinh diocese 100 million dong, and the dioceses of Da Lat and Thanh Hoa 50 million dong each, he added.

Bishop Trinh said Caritas Vietnam has also set up an office for disaster victims based at the Xuan Loc bishop’s residence. He named Father Joseph Nguyen Van Uy, under secretary general of Caritas Vietnam, as head of the office.

Bishop Trinh, 69, urged affected dioceses to report damage to the office so that action plans can be formed.

The Church leader also urged local Catholics to “pray hard for and generously help victims by working with organizations and people of good will.”

Father Joseph Duong Duc Toai, head of Caritas in the Hue archdiocese, told UCA News that he had given 1,000 packets of instant noodles to people from 20 inundated parishes.

“We have been transporting food and clothing to victims by boat. Roads are still blocked and people have been clearing garbage, mud, branches and dead animals,” Father Toai noted.

Catholics using boats to attend Mass following Typhoon Ketsana

Noting that many parishes are requesting assistance, the priest said. “We are trying our best to bring aid relief to victims as soon as possible.”

The toll on local lives and livelihoods has been high.

Le Thi Phuong Mai, a seventh grader from Linh Thuy parish, said she was now staying on high ground and has nothing to eat except instant noodles as the floodwaters have not receded.

Her family’s fishing boat was destroyed and their house ruined, she said.

Mai added that her books and notebooks for her studies have all been washed away.

Nuns from the Daughters of Our Lady of the Visitation congregation said they had to provide food and accommodation for 50 people at their convent

Auxiliary Bishop Laurence Chu Van Minh of Ha Noi and Bishop Paul Bui Van Doc of the southern diocese of My Tho also appealed to Catholics in their dioceses to pray and make donations to victims.