To
my Brother Bishops and Priests, Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
In the midst of the gloom, uncertainty
and grief that has beset our countrymen due to the devastation wrought by
typhoon Yolanda, we bring you our message of hope. The typhoon was the strongest
in the world according to the reckoning of scientists, but our faith in the Lord
is even stronger. No typhoon or flood can diminish the strength of the Filipino
soul.
No calamity or natural devastation can
quench the fire of our hope. The Filipino soul is stronger than Yolanda. In
this moment of national calamity, we turn to the Lord as we have always done
for the past four hundred years. We turn to the Lord and cling to him and beg
Him to stay by the people who call on His mighty name….
Paraphrasing the Apostle Paul “Earthquake where is your
victory! Typhoon where is your sting! Our hope is in the Lord and we shall
overcome because love is stronger than typhoons and earthquakes and death!
+ Jose S. Pala D.D.
Archbishop of Cebu
President, Catholic Bishops Conference
of the Philippines
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Thank you so much for your kind
thoughts and prayers. The super typhoon devastated Central Philippines. At
present Catholic Women’s League (CWL) is involved in relief operations and,
later on, in the rehabilitation programs.
With our faith, our hope and prayers, God will always be with us!
With your prayers and the generous support from many
countries, especially from the American people, we shall overcome. We are truly
grateful to all of you! May God bless us
all!
Amelita Dayrit-Go
World
Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO)
Vice-President
General, Regional Vice-President for Asia Pacific, 2001-2006
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When I began my service as the National Council of Catholic
Women (NCCW – USA) Representative to the World Union of Catholic Women’s
Organisations (WUCWO) back in 1996 my “neighborhood” became "global" but also much
smaller than it previously seemed to me.
(Remember this was before the days of instant internet communications
when we thought that sending a fax was amazingly fast compared to snail
mail!) Getting to know each other and
sharing faith, hope and love with our brothers and sisters in countless
countries made “world news” more like “local news” that affected members of God’s
family. I became keenly interested in
the news that impacted the lives of “my” extended family.
Through WUCWO we can keep in contact with our sisters
throughout the world and so I felt compelled to share with you the concerns as well as resilience of
those faith-filled people who live in the Philippines.
Please keep them in your prayers and offer whatever support you are able
in order to stir “the fire of hope.”
http://www.crosscatholic.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=292169
http://www.cwlphilippines.org/CWL_Philippines.html
The Year of Faith will conclude with a Holy Mass on Sunday 24 November in St. Peter's Square at 10.30 a.m., and will be marked by three signs intended to highlight the importance of the moment: the exposition of the relics of St. Peter, the delivery by Pope Francis of his Apostolic Exhortation “Evangelii gaudium”, and a gesture of charity towards the Philippine population. During the Eucharist, a collection will be carried out as a contribution by the Year of Faith pilgrims to those affected by the catastrophic typhoon in the Philippines.
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