May 31, 2019

Dear Friends in Christ,

You are undoubtedly aware of the devastating tornadoes that hit areas near Dayton and western Ohio overnight Monday and into Tuesday morning. Three of our churches sustained damage to greater or lesser degrees; thankfully no one was injured at the parish locations. However, several parishioners have lost their homes or vehicles entirely. Additionally, there has been extensive flooding in the northern counties of the archdiocese.

Low income individuals and families, those who live paycheck-to-paycheck, are frequently the ones most negatively impacted by natural disasters such as these, although families of all income levels have suffered serious setbacks due to this severe weather. This is where Catholic social service agencies such as Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley and St. Vincent de Paul, along with numerous other charitable organizations such as Our Home Family Resource Center, play such a vital role. I am deeply grateful for the women and men who work in these agencies to serve their sisters and brothers in distress. While specific needs are still being assessed, there will no doubt be a significantly increased demand for emergency shelter, food assistance, and short-term financial assistance, especially for utility payments. This demand will tax the resources of the responding agencies.

Many of our parishes will be holding a special collection this weekend specifically supporting the relief work in our archdiocese. If your parish is one of these, please prayerfully consider generously contributing. Alternatively, you may give directly to:

Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley at https://cssmv.org/donate-now/
St. Vincent de Paul Dayton at https://stvincentdayton.org/how-to-donate/
Our Home Family Resource Center at https://www.ourhomefrc.com/donate/

Please join me in praying for all of our sisters and brothers who have been impacted by these events. May the Blessed Virgin Mary intercede for them and may the Holy Spirit give them courage and hope as they rebuild their lives.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr
Archbishop of Cincinnati