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October
3, 2005 
VOL.
43, NO. 17Oakland,
CA
New Orleans
Archbishop Hughes
sends pastoral message to evacuees
Greetings in the Lord Jesus to all of you.
It has been nearly a month since we have had the comfort of our own homes
and the familiarity of our own archdiocese. As the Archbishop of New Orleans,
and a fellow evacuee, I share in your sufferings, hold you in prayer,
and want to serve you in your needs.
We, who are evacuees from the Archdiocese of New Orleans, owe great gratitude
to the host dioceses who have welcomed and assisted us. I am particularly
grateful to Bishop Muench and the Diocese of Baton Rouge for the extraordinary
way in which they have received more than 200,000 New Orleanians and facilitated
the development of a central administration in exile for the archdiocese.
Hurricane Katrina has caused enormous suffering in the overwhelming loss
of life, loss of homes, churches, schools and way of life. Our first concern
has been for people: their rescue, their basic physical needs, medical
care, and communications with loved ones.
I rejoice in the extraordinary work that Catholic Charities of New Orleans
is accomplishing in conjunction with Catholic Community Services of Baton
Rouge and other relief agencies. We’ve also worked to return as
many parishes and schools as possible to service.
At the present time, all of the churches and schools in St. Charles, St.
John, Washington and almost all of St. Tammany have resumed activity.
This marks a move toward bringing Catholic life in those areas to some
degree of normalcy.
By early October, I expect most portions of Jefferson Parish also to resume
activity. I am grateful to the pastors, the school officials and principals
and all those who have helped with the efforts to resume pastoral and
educational service. It is also reassuring to know that a significant
number of our Catholic school students are either back to school or about
to return to school either in their original communities or in the communities
in which they are now residing.
Obviously, the challenges facing significant portions of Orleans, St.
Bernard and Plaquemines parishes will require a much longer recovery process.
I will be meeting soon with the deans of these areas to address this.
It is my hope that pastors in these most affected areas will continue
to seek out their dispersed parishioners and serve them in their needs.
I am grateful to our priests who have aided in search and rescue and have
accepted special ministries consoling the bereaved, serving evacuees in
cities where there is a large concentration of New Orleanians and helping
personnel in our own archdiocese.
One of the significant difficulties, I, together with pastors and archdiocesan
personnel, face is finding the best way to communicate with so many evacuees
scattered throughout the United States. To help facilitate communications,
I invite you to access our internet Web site for continually updated information
(www.archdiocese-no.org).
Even if you do not have the capability of direct access, perhaps this
will be possible through someone that you know.
It is my hope that we will soon be able to celebrate Mass in St. Louis
Cathedral. This will then be a sign of the resurrection of the Church
in New Orleans.
Although it is necessary for the immediate future to continue to guide
the Church from Baton Rouge, we are seeking every possible way to be pastorally
present in those communities that have resumed some normal activity as
well as those communities that are displaced.
Being exiled from our homes and workplaces is not easy. Even as we express
appreciation for the provision of a home away from home, I share with
you the challenges of exile. Like the Jews of old, we long for a return
to our holy city.
I pray for you. I ask you to pray for me. I believe that God calls us
to move from being victims to victors in Christ Jesus.
Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes
Archbishop of New Orleans
Sept. 22, 2005
New Orleans Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes comforts JoAnne
White Bryant whose husband is fighting for his life at Our Lady of the
Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge. The Center has been treating
patients who evacuated from the New Orleans Superdome.
GREG TARCZYNSKI PHOTO
