Prayers for Hurricane Season

Prayer for Hurricane Season     

O God, Master of this passing world, hear the humble voices of your children.  The Sea of Galilee obeyed your order and returned to its former quietude; you are still the Master of land and sea.  We live in the shadow of a danger over which we have no control.  The Gulf, like a provoked and angry giant, can awake from its seeming lethargy, overstep its conventional boundaries, invade our land and spread chaos and disaster.  During this hurricane season, we turn to You, O loving Father.  Spare us from past tragedies whose memories are still so vivid and whose wounds seem to refuse to heal with the passing of time.  O Virgin, Star of the Sea, Our Beloved Mother, we ask you to plead with your Son in our behalf, so that spared from the calamities common to this area and animated with a true spirit of gratitude, we will walk in the footsteps of your Divine Son to reach the heavenly Jerusalem where a storm-less eternity awaits us. Amen. Originally dedicated to the victims of Hurricane Audrey in 1957.  - Fr. Al Volpe, Cameron Parish, LA  

Prayer for Protection against Storms and Hurricanes

Our Father in Heaven through the intercession of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, spare us during this Hurricane season from all harm.  Protect us and our homes from all disasters of nature.  Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us.  We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

Prayer to Avert Storms and Hurricanes 

Father, all the elements of nature obey your command.  Calm the storms and hurricanes that threaten us and turn our fear of your power into praise of your goodness.  Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen.

4 Missionaries of Charity killed, Salesian priest missing in Yemen

Please pray for the Missionaries of Charity, the Salesians, and all the victims of this horrible violence against innocent people.

  India Matters: Four Missionaries of Charity nuns from India were among 16 people gunned down by suspected Islamic fundamentalists on Friday in Aden, Yemen.

A Salesian priest from India who is in Aden at the time of attack has gone missing. “Seemingly they have taken him (Father Tom Uzhunnanil) along, but this is still to be confirmed,” says a message the Salesian Provincial secretary of Bangalore later in the day.

The Mother Teresa nuns were killed when four gunmen stormed an elderly care home in Aden’s Sheikh Othman district. They killed a guard and shot randomly at residents, news agencies reported.

The nuns had been working in the war-torn country for years, a source close to the congregation’s headquarters in Kolkata told Matters India.

Church leaders in India have mourned the nuns’ death.

Bro. Mani Mekkunnel, International Secretary, Montfortian Education, said the religious of India are in communion with the Missionaries of Charity as four of their Indian missionaries have become martyrs in the hands of ISIS in Yemen.

“They died serving the poor in a home for the aged. The Indian Church has become the biggest missionary movement, being present in more than 160 countries. We pray that hatred and violence gives way to love and peace,” the former national secretary of the Conference of Religious India told Matters India.

Reports said the gunmen first told the guard they had come to see their mother. After entered the home, they brandished rifles and opened fire. The dead also included two Yemeni women working at the home, eight elderly residents.

The motive of the gunmen was not immediately known. They fled after the attack, the official said.

The bodies of those killed have been transferred to a clinic supported by medical group Medecins Sans Frontieres (Medicine without Frontiers), medical sources said.

Dozens of stricken family members arrived at the site following the attack, witnesses said.

One official said the attackers were ‘extremists’ and blamed the Islamic State group, which has been gaining ground in Aden in recent months.

But no group claimed responsibility for the first such attack in Yemen. The country has been caught between an Iran-backed rebellion on one side and a growing jihadist presence on the other.

Meanwhile, the Salesians are frantically trying to get information about Father Uzhunnanil. The Bangalore provincial secretary said they received news from Yemen that around 8:30 am on Friday , militants suspected to be either Al Qaeda or Islamic State entered Mother Teresa’s convent.

“Presently we have no information about the whereabouts of Fr. Tom Uzhunnanil who too was in Aden when the incident took place. We had a call from Fr. M.K. George who is currently in Hodeidah. We are trying to establish the facts from various sources.”

The Bangalore provincial has urged all Salesian communities to hold half-hour adoration Friday evening and pray for “the safety of confreres and the sisters.”

Pray for Fr. Joseph Peek

Fr. Joseph Peek is nearing the end of his earthly journey and is preparing for life eternal.  Please keep him and his family in your prayers.  Fr. Peek is a military veteran of the US Navy and is asking prayers through the intercession of  the courageous and holy Grunt Padre, Servant of God Fr. Vincent Capodanno. 

Read about Fr. Peek's vocation and courage here.

A SHORT PRAYER FOR THE DYING

The Special Prayer of the Pious Union of St. Joseph
  

O St. JOSEPH, foster father of the Child Jesus and true spouse
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us and for the dying of this
day (or this night). Amen. 

PRAYER FOR THE AGONIZING 

O St. JOSEPH, protector of those in agony, take pity on those
who at this very moment when I pray to thee are engaged in
their last combat. 

O blessed Joseph, take pity on my soul too when the hour of
the final battle shall arrive for me. Then, O my holy patron, do
not abandon me, but grant me thine assistance; show that thou
art my good father, and obtain that my Divine Savior may receive
me with mercy into that abode where the elect enjoy a life
that shall never end. Amen. 

Prayer Need: 90 Christians kidnapped in Syria

(CNA/EWTN News) With reports circulating saying that ISIS forces have kidnapped at least 90 Christians from villages in northeast Syria, Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan said prayer is the only possible response.

“Let’s pray for those innocent people,” Patriarch Younan told CNA over the phone from Beirut Feb. 24.

“It’s a very, let’s say, very ordinary thing to have those people with such hatred toward non-Muslims that they don’t respect any human life,” he said, noting that the only reaction to Tuesday’s kidnappings is “to pray.”

Patriarch Younan, Syriac Patriarch of Antioch, made his comments after the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday that at least 90 Assyrian Christians were kidnapped by ISIS militants after they seized two villages near Tal-Tamr, located in the Al-Hasakah region of Syria.

The two villages attacked are inhabited primarily by the country’s ancient Christian minority.

Also known as “Hassake,” the Al-Hasakah region is located along the country’s border with Iraq, and is not far from Mount Sinjar, where many Yazidis were trapped and faced starvation after fleeing Mosul and surrounding villages when ISIS began its assault last June.

Although he said exact numbers of those kidnapped and killed are still not confirmed, the patriarch revealed that he maintains close contact with the area’s bishop, who says that the situation there has been “very, very tense.”

Patriarch Younan said that he has tried to get in touch with Al-Hasakah’s archbishop, Jacques Behnan Hindo, regarding the situation, but has not yet been able to reach him.

The Syrian civil war has forced 3 million Syrians, of all religions, to become refugees, with an additional 6.5 million internally displaced. And in Iraq, since the rise of the Islamic State, there are more than 1.8 million internally displaced persons.

Fighting between ISIS and the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Syria has intensified in recent weeks. The YPG has taken 24 villages as part of an initiative to recapture the town of Tal Hamis, which lies to the east of the two villages captured by ISIS on Tuesday, Aljazeera agency reports.

Since last month’s recapture of the town of Kobane, which borders Turkey, YPG forces have continued to advance, and have been active in Raqa, which neighbors Al-Hasakah. So far they have regained 19 villages in the area.

The observatory reports that the U.S.-led international coalition, which has backed Kurdish forces against ISIS, carried out a series of attacks on Tuesday near Tal Hamis, killing 14 ISIS fighters.

Patriarch Younan said that although it’s “so easy” for the ISIS terrorists “to kill and to cut the throat” of non-Muslims, he hopes that will not be the fate of those who were taken on Tuesday.

One possibility, he noted, is that the Christians who were taken will be exchanged by ISIS militants for prisoners being held by the Kurdish army.

“Hopefully they will do it,” the patriarch said. But, he described the ISIS militants as being “full of hatred and a venomous feelings toward the Christians over there.”

The ISIS fighters, which he referred to as “military terrorists,” are “ready to do all the horrible acts without any human feelings…But as I said, we keep praying and hoping.”

Prayer Need: Two Salesian religious murdered during robbery in Venezuela

(CNA/EWTN News) During a suspected robbery at Don Bosco College in the Venezuelan city of Valencia the evening of Feb. 15, two Salesians were stabbed to death, and another was wounded.

Fr. Jesus Plaza, 80, and Brother Luis Sanchez, 84 were both murdered; and Brother David Marin, 64, was stabbed in the leg multiple times, but is reportedly out of danger after having been treated at a local clinic.

“Last night two Salesian brothers were killed in Venezuela,” Fr. Pascual Chavez, superior of the Salesians of Don Bosco, confirmed via Twitter Feb. 16.

"We pray for peace and for the restoration of the rule of law in the nation,” he exhorted.

According to police investigations, the alleged perpetrators are two minors, between 13 and 15 years of age, and they stole computers, money, mobile phones, and liturgical objects from the rectory.

In a statement released through the Facebook page of Don Bosco College, Fr. Luciano Stefani, provincial general of the Salesians in Venezuela, said, “as this tragedy leads our province to mourn, and moves us to seek a reason, let us raise our prayers to the Lord, asking eternal rest for these our brothers.”

Fr. Stefani also called for "peace and spiritual tranquility " for Brother Marin and for Fr. José Luis Salazar, both of whom were gagged by the delinquents as they entered the college.

The vicar general of the Archdiocese of Valencia noted via Twitter the “immense pain for the blood of the Salesians of Valencia who lived for our people.”

"Lord, in the midst of pain and confusion, thank you all the Salesians do for us in your Name,” he said, going on to say Fr. Plaza is now “with Mary, Help of Christians in heaven.”

Fr. Fernando Santana, director of the Don Bosco house in Guaparo, a suburb of Valencia, asked the Venezuelan press that the murders not be politicized, saying this is “a social reality” of the nation.

“There are no elements which link this with the events going on in the country; this is a situation of insecurity. There are not groups who came here to produce chaos,” he said.

Valencia is located 100 miles west of Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.

Prayer Need: A Tragic Accident Takes the Life of A Newly Ordained Salesian Priest

The following tragic news comes from our Salesians in the Dominican Republic:

Fr. Víctor Martínez was heading to his hometown to celebrate his first mass when he was tragically killed in an accident.

(Decosal - Jarabacoa) - Fr. Víctor Martínez, SDB died Sunday in a tragic road accident when the newly ordained priest who was traveling with family and friends to celebrate his first Mass in his hometown of Puerto Plata.

Fr. Victor Martinez, a Salesian of Don Bosco, was ordained yesterday at the Parish of Mary Help of Christians in Jarabacoa at the hands of Bishop Julius Caesar Corniel, Bishop of Puerto Plata. He was heading home today to celebrate his first Mass with his family and friends. The accident also killed an uncle of the priest and injured several other people.

The news has brought deep sorrow upon the whole Salesian Family who just yesterday celebrated joyfully his priestly ordination. The Reverend Father Victor Pichardo, Provincial of the Salesians, announced with deep sorrow the news to the youth of all the Salesian houses that were in the concluding Eucharist of Don Bosco Summer Camp. These same young people had witnessed the joyful celebration of the ordination of Fr. Victor the day before and received his first blessing.

Fr. Victor Martinez was born on September 17, 1982 in the city of Puerto Plata. He joined the Salesian Domingo Savio Aspirantate at Jarabacoa in 2000. His last four years were as a theology student at the Salesian Seminary in Guadalajara, Mexico. He was ordained a priest one day before his death.

Newly ordained Chinese bishop of Shanghai goes missing

Prayer Need: Students for Life Leader, Unborn Baby Die in Tragic Accident

The following comes from the LifeNews site:

Students for Life of America, the national organization for pro-life college and university students, has suffered a terrible loss, as one of its staffers and her unborn baby perish and another staffer was injured in a fatal automobile accident Saturday night.

Around 8:00 p.m. local time, SFLA field director Kortney Blythe Gordon was driving back from the Students for Life of America Georgia conference when her vehicle was struck by another head on in a massive collision. Gordon and her unborn child, Sophy, were immediately killed upon impact and another SFLA staff member, Jon Scharfenberger, is in critical condition following the accident.
In addition, two local students, whose names were not released to LifeNews, were injured in the accident as well, and were in the vehicle with the two Students for Life staffers when they were struck by the oncoming car. The accident also claimed the life of a passenger in another vehicle.

“The entire team at Students for Life of America is heartbroken by the loss of our dear friend, Field Director, and tireless abortion abolitionist, Kortney Blythe Gordon, and her pre-born daughter, Sophy,” a grief-stricken Kristan Hawkins said in a statement this afternoon. “There are no words to describe what a loss we suffer alongside her husband Benjamin and their entire family, but we are comforted knowing that Kortney and her daughter are in the arms of our Lord and Savior.”

“Please pray for the families of Kortney and Benjamin, for the family of our other gravely injured staffer and his recovery, and for healing for all who were touched by Kortney’s infectious spirit and tireless efforts to stop the injustice of abortion in our nation,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins said Kortney lived by one of her favorite sayings: “To live is Christ, to die is gain.”

“She passed doing what she loved, and we are beyond blessed for the countless gifts that she bestowed to our staff, our students and pro-life leaders across the country,’ the SFLA leader said.

Students for Life of America, on behalf of the Blythe and Gordon families, is taking up a collection to help pay for Kortney and her daughter Sophy’s burial costs. All proceeds are tax deductible and 100% of gifts received through this pledge will be donated to the Blythe and Gordon families. To donate, please visit https://kortneyandsophy.sagefundraisingonline.com/2

“Please keep the mission of Students for Life of America as we mourn the loss of our beautiful and dear friend and a true leader within the pro-life movement,” Hawkins said. “All of our love and prayers to Kortney, Sophy, and the Blythe and Gordon families.”

Gordon joined Students for Life of America as Field Director in June 2010 where she manages the SFLA Field Agents and travels across the nation to mobilize, activate, and train new and existing student pro-life groups. As a child, Kortney was introduced to the pro-life movement through her uncle, a full-time sidewalk counselor, who, in the past 25 years, has saved over 3,000 children from abortion through his clinic presence.

Her pastor and apologist father encouraged her passion for the preborn, and in 2005, she graduated magna cum laude from Montreat College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a focus on Communication. Directly out of college, she took a position as residential supervisor for an unwed mother’s home in Charlotte, NC. Then, in summer 2006, she joined Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust as the Director of Campus Life Tours in southern California. During her time with Survivors, she led a team of 6-10 young adults, traveling to 600 high school and college campuses setting up pro-life displays and distributing over 200,000 pieces of educational literature.

Kortney mentored dozens of rising pro-life youth at Survivors’ annual Pro-life Leadership Training Camps, where she provided hands-on instruction on activist tactics, free speech rights and defending the pro-life position. She brought her experience and knowledge to Australia in spring 2009 with a whirlwind tour of the country that included street activism, training and an appearance on a local Catholic television program.

She has participated in countless pro-life demonstrations, counter-protests and prayer vigils. As a result, her frequent stands against first amendment violations have successfully struck down dozens of unconstitutional ordinances and school policies.

In 2009, she moved back to the East coast to work with Rock for Life as the Chapter and Street Team Coordinator. Her activities included starting nearly twenty new chapters, frequent blogging on trending pro-life topics and recording a weekly podcast, broadcast on National Pro-life Radio.

Friends of Gordon’s who wish to send her family their prayers and thoughts can do so by sending it via Kortney’s email.

PONTIFF URGES PRAYER FOR NEW ZEALAND QUAKE VICTIMS

The following comes from Zenit.org:

Benedict XVI is promising prayer for those being "severely tested" by the earthquake in New Zealand.

Today at the end of the general audience, the Pope mentioned the victims of the quake that struck Christchurch at 1 p.m. Tuesday, local time. The current death toll is at 75, but some 300 people are still unaccounted for. More than 100 people were rescued the evening and night of the quake.

"At this time, my thoughts turn especially to the people [of New Zealand] who are being severely tested by this tragedy," the Holy Father said. "Let us ask God to relieve their suffering and to support all who are involved in the rescue operations. I also ask you to join me in praying for all who have lost their lives."

Rescue teams as well as condolences arrived from around the globe.

From nearby Australia, Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adelaide, president of the bishops' conference, assured solidarity with the New Zealanders.

"It is with great sadness that the bishops of Australia and the Catholic people of this nation watch the unfolding events following the massive earthquake in Christchurch yesterday," said his message to Bishop Barry Jones of Christchurch. "The proximity of our countries and the solidarity we share in times of disaster lead us to feel enormous grief for what your people are experiencing. [...] You and the people of Christchurch are very much in our prayers at this time, and we pray that Our Lord will continue to accompany you."

Christchurch is one of New Zealand's bigger cities, with a population of some 350,000.

Prayer need: Salesian Missionary Priest Killed in Tunisia

The following comes from the Salesian News Agency:

Fr Marek Rybinski, a young Polish missionary in Manouba, Tunisia, was found killed this morning in the Salesian school there. The motive is not known.

Fr Rybinski had been seen by the confreres of the community yesterday morning about 10.00. Since he wasn’t at evening prayer or at mass this morning Fr Lawrence Essery, Rector of the Salesian community in Manouba, becoming alarmed and not finding him in his room he contacted the local police. They arrived shortly afterwards and began a search for Fr Rybinski. Tragically his body was found in a store room with his throat cut. He is the second religious to be found dead in this recent period of social unrest.


At 9.30 yesterday morning Fr Rybinski had spoken on the ‘phone to Sr Eva Siuda, at the Mission Office in Warsaw, and asked her to send a fax confirming that a sum of morning had been transferred – transferred in fact in December  – for the releasing of which the bank was making difficulties.


On 31 January, the feast of Don Bosco, the Salesians in Manouba had found an anonymous letter pushed under the door threatening them with death unless they paid up. Officially the police have not given their opinion about the motive whether of theft or of religious fundamentalism.
Don Rybinski, only 33 years of age originally from the Warsaw Province in Poland was ordained priest in May 2005. In September 2007 he arrived in Manouba where he became community bursar.


“Marek was extremely efficient and through his contacts with the Polish Missions Office where he had worked previous to his arrival in Tunisia. He was able to help to finance various projects for the good of the school,” Fr Essery told ANS in a message.


He had been appointed chaplain to the Polish community by the archbishop of Tunisia and had spent a lot of time preparing the youngsters for Confirmation.
  
This evening  in the Cathedral Archbishop Maroun Elias Nimeh Lahham of Tunisia will preside at a Mass  for Fr Rybinski.


As soon as he heard the news the Rector Major of the Salesians,  Fr Pascual Chávez Villanueva, expressed his consternation and his sorrow.

Prayer need: Retired Archbishop Hannan of New Orleans failing

The following comes from NOLA.com:

Retired Archbishop Philip Hannan, 97 and stricken with a bronchial infection, "seems to be failing" at his home in Covington, Archbishop Gregory Aymond said Monday.

ELLIS LUCIA / THE TIMES-PICAYUNERetired Archbishop Philip Hannan in 2009.

At mid-morning Aymond emailed the priests of the Archdiocese of New Orleans with the news and asked for their prayers.

He said Hannan is under care at his Covington home because he has asked to remain there.In an interview, Aymond indicated Hannan's condition is serious, although he noted he has rallied from earlier respiratory infections.

Aymond said a doctor examined the retired archbishop last night and looked in again this morning.  He said Hannan has been anointed with the sacrament of the sick, although that does not necessarily indicate that death is imminent.

In recent months Hannan has become increasingly enfeebled by a series of small strokes.

Prayer Need: Haiti – On alert for the epidemic

Please pray for the people of Haiti. The following comes from our Salesian News Agency:According to the latest official information the cholera epidemic which broke out on 20 October has so far caused over 900 deaths with 10,000 cases of infection. The Salesians are working all out, especially for those most in need in the poorer districts, to combat the epidemic and encourage the practice of the norms of hygiene.

All those attending the Little Schools of Fr Bohnen (OPEPB), where each morning they each receive a hot roll and some milk are made to wash their hands before they take the break. At Drouillard and at Thorland in collaboration with Voluntary Service for International Development (VIS) the Salesians have distributed to the families who are still living in tents hygiene kits to treat the water.

Fr Sylvain Ducange, Superior of the Salesians in the country says that “the Salesian community in Haiti is on the alert and ready to intervene if necessary”. Brother Hubert Mesidor SDB who conducts an educational programme for the whole population on Radio Soleil, the radio station of the Catholic Church in Haiti, is devoting all the space possible in his broadcasts to encourage the people in preventative measure to combat the epidemic, explaining the importance of always and everywhere practising appropriate hygienic measures.

To the already precarious living conditions due to the devastating earthquake on 12 January now there is added the fear of infection with cholera which Haiti has not experienced for almost a century. The stigma created by this epidemic among the people is worse that the sickness itself. The people are afraid not knowing what cholera actually is and they are tending to “isolate” all those infected. The Government has made use of the media to explain how to prevent cholera and the necessary measures of hygiene. In the next few days the situation could get worse and the sickness spread through Port-au-Prínce on account of the huge qualities of rubbish along almost all the streets of the capital.

Pray need: possible assassination attempt on Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez, SDB

Please pray for the safety of Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, SDB.  The following comes from the Salesian News Agency:


ANS has received from the private office of Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga the news that there has been a possible assassination attempt against  the Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, based on the fact that on 10 October, a fragment of a bullet was found in his study.

Fr. Carlosmagno Núñez, Chancellor of the Archdiocese, was given the task of communicating the news to the media and he added that all the possible strategies to allow the Cardinal to continue his pastoral work in safety were being examined. Their concern now, naturally, is that of protecting the life of the Cardinal, while the matter is being examined by the investigating authorities. Attempts at reconstructing events by the police are based on the finding of a fragment of a bullet found in the Cardinal’s study and some broken windows through which presumably the bullet entered.

The Chancellor told the media that in the last month two attempts had been made against the Cardinal, so that he is now under constant police protection. At the same time,  the radical positions taken by the Cardinal regarding the defence of the disadvantaged  and his convictions based on the Documents of the Social Teaching of the Church are well-known.

For the clergy and for the Church in general this is a time of uncertainty because of these attacks on such a committed leader and pastor as Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga; and yet as Fr. Núñez repeated “the voice of the Church cannot in any way be silenced”.

In New Orleans, praying for a miracle

Hat tip to Deacon Greg on this one. The people of New Orleans and the Gulf are praying for a miracle:

That's exactly what many are doing in and around New Orleans, and Ron Thibodeaux looks at how faith and prayer are pulling people together in the face of what might be an unprecedented disaster:

St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis was organizing a midday briefing at Fort Pike, in eastern New Orleans, where he and other public officials would discuss vital efforts to prevent the Gulf of Mexico oil spill from entering Lake Pontchartrain.

First thing Tuesday morning, he recruited (Rev. Randy) Craighead, executive pastor of Church of the King near Mandeville, to begin the event with a weather prayer.

Davis described the threat posed by the BP oil spill as "really severe." Craighead was happy to oblige.

The minister arrived at the command response center near the Rigolets bridge late Tuesday morning, prepared to pray extemporaneously. When Davis informed him that Gov. Bobby Jindal, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu and other high-profile officials would also be taking part, he decided to write it out beforehand rather than "wing it."

With the governor, U.S. Sen. David Vitter, Davis, Landrieu and a handful of other politicians and emergency preparedness officials arrayed behind him, Craighead kicked off the event by asking God, quite bluntly, for a miracle.

"We call on you for divine intervention in stopping the oil slick and to keep the oil back from the shores of this great state and the surrounding states," the pastor said. "We pray for a prevailing north wind to drive the oil slick southward."

Invocations are commonplace for many public events, but they are highly unusual for press conferences, which tend to avoid most trappings of ceremony.

On the other hand, Louisianians are no strangers to invoking a higher authority when it comes to facing down the elements.

New Orleans-area Catholics have a long tradition of asking God, through the intercession of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, for protection during hurricane season.

In southwestern Louisiana, Catholics have their own "Prayer for Safety in Hurricane Season," composed after Hurricane Audrey killed hundreds of Cameron Parish residents in 1957.

"We live in the shadow of a danger over which we have no control: the Gulf, like a provoked and angry giant, can awake from its seeming lethargy, overstep its conventional boundaries, invade our land and spread chaos and disaster," the prayer says.

It goes on to ask the intercession of Mary Star of the Sea, "so that spared from the calamities common to this area, " the faithful might "reach the heavenly Jerusalem where a stormless eternity awaits us."

Like most everyone else in St. Tammany Parish, Craighead said he understands the level of worry about the oil spill. Many Church of the King's 5,000 parishioners are personally impacted in some way, and everyone shares a concern about the economic impact the disaster could have on the state and its people.

In the face of such a crisis, he said, containment booms aren't the only option: "We really feel there is power in prayer."

Check out the rest.

And: pray.

Prayer Need: Massive Magnitude 8.8 Quake Hits Chile

Please pray for the people of Chile. Here is the story from Fox News:

A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Chile early Saturday, collapsing buildings, killing dozens and downing phone lines. President Michele Bachelet declared a "state of catastrophe" in central Chile and said the death toll was rising.

Chile's top emergency official said at least 78 people were killed

There have been a number of aftershocks to hit Chile since the quake, the largest one registering at magnitude 6.9, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

"It has been a devastating earthquake," Interior Minister Edmundo Perez Yoma told reporters.

Tsunami warnings were issued over a wide area, including South America, Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand, Japan, the Philippines, Russia and many Pacific islands.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's tsunami warning monitors reported a wave measuring nearly eight feet hit near Talcahuano, Chile, about 90 minutes after the quake hit. Other waves of up to four feet hit other coastal areas. The NOAA has placed its alert on the highest level — severe.

"We have had a huge earthquake, with some aftershocks," Bachelet said, appealing from an emergency response center for Chileans to remain calm. "Despite this, the system is functioning. People should remain calm. We're doing everything we can with all the forces we have. Any information we will share immediately."

Bachelet said "without a doubt, with an earthquake of this magnitude, there will be more deaths."

In the 2 1/2 hours following the 90-second quake, the U.S. Geological Survey reported 11 aftershocks, of which five measured 6.0 or above.

She urged people to avoid traveling in the dark, since traffic lights are down, to avoid causing more fatalities.

U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley tells Fox Nows: "We are doing a few things. First, our Embassy is reaching out to the Chilean government to offer assistance. Chile has both significant capabilities and strong building codes. Second, the Embassy has activated its Warden system to communicate with Americans in Chile and make sure they are okay. You should check with the Pentagon as well to see what SOUTHCOM is doing."

Crowley added: "We have more than 100 personnel at the Embassy. They are all okay and accounted for."

The quake hit 200 miles southwest of the capital, Santiago, at a depth of 22 miles at 3:34 a.m., the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The epicenter was just 70 miles from Concepcion, Chile's second-largest city, where more than 200,000 people live along the Bio Bio river, and 60 miles from the ski town of Chillan, a gateway to Andean ski resorts that was destroyed in a 1939 earthquake.

In Santiago, the capital, modern buildings are built to withstand earthquakes, but many older ones were heavily damaged, including the Nuestra Senora de la Providencia church, whose bell tower collapsed. An apartment building's two-level parking lot also flattened onto the ground floor, smashing about 50 cars whose alarms and horns rang incessantly. A bridge just outside the capital also collapsed, and at least one car flipped upside down.

In the coastal city of Vina del Mar, the earthquake struck just as people were leaving a disco, Julio Alvarez told Radio Cooperativa in Santiago. "It was very bad, people were screaming, some people were running, others appeared paralyzed. I was one of them."

Bachelet said she was declaring a "state of catastrophe" in 3 central regions of the country, and that while emergency responders were waiting for first light to get details, it was evident that damage was extensive.

She said the initial death toll was 16, "but we cannot dismiss the possibility of more," and encouraged people to stay home and not travel unless strictly necessary.

Several hospitals have been evacuated due to earthquake damage, she said, and communications with the city of Concepcion remained down. She planned to tour the affected region as quickly as possible to get a better idea of the damage.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center called for "urgent action to protect lives and property" in Hawaii, which is among 53 nations and territories subject to tsunami warnings.

A huge wave reached a populated area in the Robinson Crusoe Islands, 410 miles off the Chilean coast, Bachelet said. There were no immediate reports of major damage there, she added.

"Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated. It may have been destructive along coasts near the earthquake epicenter and could also be a threat to more distant coasts," the warning center said. It did not expect a tsunami along the west of the U.S. or Canada but was continuing to monitor the situation.

The largest earthquake ever recorded struck the same area of Chile on May 22, 1960. The magnitude-9.5 quake killed 1,655 people and left 2 million homeless. The tsunami that it caused killed people in Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines and caused damage to the west coast of the United States.

Prayer Request from Iraqi Sisters

Please pray for the Christians of Iraq:

From: Angelo H Camacho To: rpnarrin@aol.com Sent: Thu, Feb 25, 2010 12:33 pm Subject: URGENT PRAYER REQUEST
Just got this tragic news from our Dominican sisters in Iraq... prayers, please
Fr. Camacho

Dear Brothers,

Please read the following e-mail sent by Sr Donna Markham, O.P., the Prioress of the Adrian Dominicans, about our Dominican Sisters in Iraq and the entire Christian community in Mosul:

Dear Sisters, This evening I have received very tragic news about the situation in Iraq. I have just returned from being with the 5 Iraqi sisters who are with us in Adrian. Today, all the Christians have fled from Mosul.

There have been murders and rapes of Christians there and for now they are fleeing to the Christian villages. Sister Maria is very frightened about the safety of the sisters and the Christian people. As of now,the five elderly sisters who have been holding down the Motherhouse are choosing to remain there because they do not want to lose their Motherhouse to the terrorists. She said most Christians are making plans to evacuate from Iraq and, as a consequence, she does not know what will happen with her Congregation. She said they will follow the Christian people where they go, but where that will be is uncertain. The sisters' families remain in grave danger and, as you can imagine,the young ones with us and with Springfield are terrified. As of now, nothing is being reported in the US press. She asks if any of us know people in Washington whom we could contact and tell the story, to please do so. Most importantly, she asks for our prayers. Love, Sr. Donna

Please keep this situation in your prayers, and, as Sr. Donna asks, if anyone has any contacts in DC who could bring this to the press or to Congress, please consider doing so.

Fraternally, Fr Brian Mulcahy, O.P.
Socius

I found this in my email from Ed at In God's Company 2.

Prayers for Haiti

This comes from Whispers in the Loggia:

And so, church, with Tuesday's quake in Haiti dominating the news-cycle, "your help urgently needed" in this weekend's second collection nationwide and, indeed, "calling for every human being who has a human heart to pray, and to help them to stand again," we'd be remiss to not pass along the following memento, circulated by the Apostleship of Prayer:

God of all creation, as we weep with our family in Haiti, console us. In this time of crisis, open our eyes to look beyond the disaster to see Christ in our brothers and sisters in Haiti, as Christ sees us. Be with us as we stand in solidarity with those living and working in Haiti. Be with us in our mourning and guide our efforts to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, comfort the grieving and stand for justice. With your mercy, sustain us at this time as we continue to work for peace and justice. Amen.

For the Haitian people, that help comes to them quickly and comfort comes to those who hurt. Lord, hear our prayer.

For the lost or buried, that they are found and reunited with their loved ones. Lord, hear our prayer.

For the relief workers, that they have the tools they need, the courage and the strength to respond fully. Lord, hear our prayer.

For the families in Haiti and in the United States who are waiting to hear from loved one, that good news comes to them. Lord, hear our prayer.

For those whose who have perished, may their souls rest with you, O Lord, where they will find eternal love. Amen.
And from the diaspora in Miami's Little Haiti, the community's intercessions:
-We are praying for hope despite this situation, that even as we face darkness, people may see a pinpoint of light.
-Praying for families.
-Pray for a greater conscience among everyone not just in Haiti but all over that we must do something [to help].
-Pray for a spirit of thanksgiving for international agencies for their good heart and good faith.
-Pray for relief workers to have a spirit of patience and perseverance.
-For those who at this time are in search of meaning in their lives and peace.
Lord, hear our prayer.

On a caritas note, in a statement yesterday, the Holy See disclosed that the US church's own Catholic Relief Services had been entrusted with coordinating "this stage" of the worldwide communion's response.

Tsunami hits South Pacific islands -- Salesians report on situation

Please pray for the victims of this latest Tsunami in the Pacific. The following comes from AustraLasia:

Fr. Petelo Vito Pau, rector of the Salesian community center located near Apia, the capital of Samoa, reports that “all confreres are safe from the earthquake” and the tsunami that struck on September 29, causing widespread damage and loss of life to both Samoa and nearby American Samoa. Formerly known as Western Samoa, the independent nation of Samoa consisting of two main islands, Upolu and Savai’i, and several smaller islands, among them Manono.

Fr. Sefo Mulipola, a Salesian from the tiny island of Manono, reports that his family home was partly destroyed, but that the family are safe. It seems that the two Salesians on Savai’i island also are safe.

An earthquake of 8.3 magnitude, located some 120 miles to the south of the islands, caused several tsunami waves varying from 2 to 4 feet to strike the southern coastal areas of Upolu, the main Samoan island. Two of the Salesian centers are located on coastal strips, both fully susceptible to any rise in water level. We await further information on the effects of the tsunami on physical plant in these two areas, but it would seem that the brunt of the tsunami struck elsewhere.

Both the Salesians and the Salesian Sisters have communities and presences in Samoa, while the sisters have a community also in nearby American Samoa. At the moment we have no report on how they fared. More general media reports indicate that Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa, was struck without warning. News reports often confuse the issue by talking of “Samoa” when they could mean either Samoa or American Samoa, but it would seem that loss of life is possibly as high as a hundred, even more, including both island groups.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of islands in the wider region. Two other large island groups, Tonga and Fiji, received tsunami warnings, and the reports are that an even more severe wave struck the northern islands of Tonga, which are very close to Samoa, with loss of life involved. We have Salesians from Tonga, but not in Tonga, and their families do not come from that part of the island group. We also have a Salesian community in Fiji, and the Regional Seminary which our men attend (and teach at) is located on a susceptible strip of coast. On this occasion, although students were evacuated from that area, no significant difficulties were reported. New Zealand also put out a tsunami warning, but later cancelled it. There have been no significant difficulties despite higher than usual water levels on northern coasts.