GENERAL SUPERIOR
CONGREGATION OF THE PRIESTS OF THE SACRED HEART
Dehonians

Prot. N. P0301/2013

November 12, 2013

            Dear Confreres,

It is with great sadness that we have witnessed once again the force and the devastation of extreme weather. This time it occurred in the Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan slammed into the Philippine coast last Friday. With storm surges of up to six meters and winds exceeding 200 km per hour, the death toll has reached many thousands especially near the coasts. At least 800.000 people have been displaced.

It is with a sense of relief that we can report that none of our confreres in the Philippines has been killed or injured. We do not have a precise report yet as to the damage done by the winds. Some of the families of our Philippine confreres were affected but we have heard of no deaths until now.

At this time we wish to stand with the Philippine people and try to help them in this time of need. On your behalf, the General Administration has already sent $20,000 for relief assistance. We have sent the money to Fr. Francis Pupkowski, the superior of the Philippine Region, so that he can direct the relief money to the neediest parts of the country.

We invite our Provinces, Regions and Districts to channel their own contributions either through the Generalate by contacting Fr. Aquilino Mielgo Domínguez (aquilino@dehon.it) or directly to the Philippine Region through Fr. Francis Pupkowski (fpupkowski@gmail.com).

In this time of need, we want to express our sympathy and our support. We hope that with international assistance the Philippine people will soon be able to rebuild homes and replace the crops that were ruined by the very high winds. We will support them also with our prayers.

May the Lord accompany the Philippine people in this difficult time and give them courage and determination to restore their lives and their livelihoods.

In the Heart of Christ,

Fr. José Ornelas Carvalho

General Superior