Cuban Church urges continued aid for Hurricane Sandy victims

Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, Nov 20, 2012 / 16:07 pm

The Archdiocese of Santiago in Cuba is calling on the international community to continue helping the thousands of victims of Hurricane Sandy, and has set up two bank accounts to receive donations.

"The city is recovering, but the spiritual and material reconstruction will take a long time," Archbishop Dionosio Garcia said in a Nov. 11 message.

"God speaks to us even in suffering, and we are capable of hearing his words in the most bitter of times. But we must be attentive and strive for interior silence in order to hear them."

On its Facebook page, the archdiocese requested that donations be sent to its accounts at the Vatican's Institute for Religious Works and the U.S.-based Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre Foundation. Donations should be specified as to assist the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

"In the civil order the effects have been devastating, the data indicates 150,000 homes were damaged and thousands were totally destroyed," the archbishop said.

"We are seeing the humanitarian damage that this has caused. The images in the media speak for themselves but they never convey the pain that people and families are experiencing."

Archbishop Garcia also encouraged those who lost their parishes to "continue celebrating the faith, giving hope and drawing close to those in need."

On Nov. 19 the first plane containing aid for the victims of the hurricane in Santiago took off from Miami's International Airport.

Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami said the 9,000 pounds of aid represent "our first effort of solidarity with the Church in Cuba."

"The food will go to Caritas in Santiago and will be received by the director of Caritas and the Archbishop of Santiago," he said.