Pray for our link diocese in the wake of Hurricane Irene
In a recent letter to our link diocese of Albany, Bishop Bill Love writes of the destruction wrought by the storm that battered the east coast of America in late August:
”While much of the initial news coverage of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene is now starting to die down, the devastation left by the storm is still very much with us and will be for quite some time to come. Pictures of the storm and its aftermath (as powerful as they are), will never totally capture the tremendous loss that so many of our neighbors and brothers and sisters in Christ have experienced.
”Fortunately for most of us, the severity of Irene was limited to the loss of power for a day or two and the inconvenience it caused. Now that our power is back on and life is returning to some sense of normalcy, it is important that we don’t forget those who were not so fortunate – those who are still digging mud out of their flooded basements and the first floor of their homes; those whose furniture, clothing and cherished family heirlooms were destroyed; those whose homes have been knocked off their foundations or had trees come crashing through their roofs; and most tragically of all those who have been injured or lost loved ones in the storm.
”Shortly after Irene hit our area, while on vacation I started calling the clergy and parishes in those areas that I was aware of that had been hard hit by the storm. By the grace of God, based on the reports I have received from the clergy, most of our Church buildings escaped with very little damage. Unfortunately, some of our parishioners and their neighbors were less fortunate, suffering many of the losses mentioned above, to include at least two parishioners who lost their lives as a result of Tropical Storm Irene.”
Bishop Bill goes on to speak of the practical ways in which the diocese and its people are responding and invites them to pray. We in the Diocese of Down and Dromore join them, saying:
”Heavenly Father, we come humbly before you, holding up in our prayers those who have been deeply impacted by Tropical Storm Irene, both within the Diocese of Albany and the other areas caught in Irene’s path of destruction. We ask You Lord to send Your holy angels to watch over, protect and minister to them in this time of great need. Help us Lord to be open to Your presence, trust in Your guidance and go forth boldly in Your name, empowered in the Holy Spirit to be a channel of Your love, mercy and healing grace, ministering to those you send us to. Lord Jesus, just as you spoke to your disciples in their time of need, saying, “Peace be with you,” we ask that Your peace will come upon all the victims of Irene and other tragedies, comforting them in their time of loss and filling them with hope, knowing that You are with them and will remain with them through all the storms of life, even to the end of the age. In Jesus most blessed and holy name we pray. Amen.”