Houston, Texas, August 30, 2017
Photo: iocc.org In the wake of the massive flooding in Texas and Louisiana, and particularly in Houston, that has dumped 12 trillion gallons of rain, forcing 30,000 to flee their homes and leaving 30 dead, several Orthodox bishops have released statements, offering prayer and aid to the all those affected by the damage wreaked by Hurricane Harvey.
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople writes:
The ongoing devastation of Hurricane (now Tropical Storm) Harvey in the Gulf shore region of Texas, and particularly in Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, is a grim reminder of the terrifying power of nature. Our Ecumenical Patriarchate grieves over the heart-rending loss of life, and bemoans the tremendous loss of property and painful ruin of so many thousands of families’ lives. We pray for the eternal repose of those whose lives were cut short by this calamity, as well as for the consolation of the bereaved families.
We remember our Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, and those who minister and labor for the Orthodox faithful of Houston. We pray for all civil authorities, particularly for those brave women and men providing emergency services and relief to those in desperate circumstances. May God provide them strength and fortitude in this, their hour of need.
We call upon our Holy Archdiocese of America to provide aid and assistance as it is able, whether through the International Orthodox Christian Charities, the National Philoptochos, or Archdiocesan discretionary resources. Now is the time for compassion and solidarity in action, and we commend those who have already done so.
Now is also a time to reflect on the awesome power of creation, and our human responsibility to be good and wise stewards of the environment. We are all called to participate in the redemption and stewardship of our world whether it is through working to ameliorate the destructive force of such hurricanes by better environmental planning; or committing more seriously to the grave issue of climate change and how it is affecting our planet; or even becoming personally involved in the charities that provide comfort and support to those whose lives are so drastically changed in the blink of an eye.
As we join together in these important humanitarian acts, we will ever call upon God our Maker, Who is All-Merciful and the true Philanthropos, that He may ‘remember His covenant which is between Him and us and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh’ (Genesis 9:15). Amen.
A statement on the site of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America reads,
His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph has issued a statement of concern and a call to action regarding the flooding in the state of Texas caused by the hurricane and tropical storm, Harvey. “The people of Texas are in our thoughts and prayers,” said Sayidna Joseph. "Let us continue to remember them! We have been in constant contact with our clergy and parishes there, and are preparing to help them with whatever they need.
“Once we have been able to assess the needs of our churches and faithful,” added the Metropolitan, “we will be sending out an appeal for financial assistance to all of the parishes of the Archdiocese. At this time, several Antiochian priests are on the ground providing assistance as members of the trained and credentialed International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) Frontline response team.”
Hurricane Harvey, the strongest storm system to hit the state of Texas since 1961, has caused catastrophic flooding in many parts of southeastern Texas, particularly in the city of Houston.
The Antiochian site also provides several prayers for deliverance from hurricanes.
His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony and His Eminence Archbishop Daniel of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the United States of America have established a relief fund, calling on all of their priests to take up collections following the Divine Liturgy on September 3, 10, and 17:
Dear Rev. Fathers, Parish Board of Administrations and Parish Members,
We write to you with a heaviness of heart upon witnessing for the past many days the seemingly relentless weather disaster inflicted upon our fellow American citizens along the Gulf of Mexico coastline – primarily in Texas – but expected to move East. We have been filled with compassion as we watched thousands upon thousands of people forced to abandon all their material possessions and life as they knew it.
We have seen the fear in the faces of people pulled through windows and door of a nursing home having waited for hours to be rescued, sitting in wheel chairs with water up to their necks. We have witnessed families with terrified children plucked from the rooftops of their homes. We have suffered along with those who lost loved ones to the raging waters covering an enormous geographical area. We have been astounded by the numbers: over 50 inches of rain – trillions and trillions of gallons – falling in just a few days, water in many places over 25 feet deep reaching the roofs of thousands of homes, 4.5 million people in just the Houston area under siege.
We have, however, witnessed just as incredible sights of loving-kindness exhibited by so many – neighbors to neighbors, strangers to stranger, people from distant places to local residents – without regard to race, color or creed. Oh what a welcome respite from the divisiveness and hatred that has been forced upon us in recent times! We have watched the professionals – the first responders in law enforcement and fire protection, both local and from around the nation – joined by the Texas National Guard, local citizens and those who came from a distance, as they set about rescuing those trapped in or on their homes. We have shed tears as we watched those rescued expressing their heartfelt gratitude to those responders.
We have also been spiritually moved by the many expressions of trust in God – regardless of the extent of their suffering – and the determination under His guidance to make life “good” again. We have experienced this all from afar, because for most of us, the possibility of traveling to the disaster area to be of assistance is remote, to say the least.
We can, however, offer our assistance first of all through our prayers and through financial assistance as we dig into whatever our resources are to make the temporary living conditions and finally rebuilding efforts somewhat easier. We will be asking the Consistory of the Church to approve an initial contribution of $5,000 for this assistance from our Church’s Mission Fund and we are asking all or you – our clergy, faithful, parish boards and organizations to add to this amount. We are making this an URGENT REQUEST, requiring your immediate response. Our desire is to send the first check of support by the Feast of the Nativity of the Birth-Giver of God on 21 September. International Orthodox Christian Charities is a wonderful charity through which 92% of each dollar donated goes to assisting those in need.
Therefore, we are asking that our parish priests read this letter from the Amvon and conduct a post-Liturgy collection on the Sundays of 3, 10 and 17 September. Please send a single check with a list of donors to the Consistory made out to UOC of the USA, Memo: “UOC Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund”. Moreover, you may make a donation via our web site by clicking on “Support the Ministries of the Church”, marking it “Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund”. We express, in behalf of all those who will receive your assistance, sincere gratitude and our love for you as our spiritual children, who always respond to such appeals positively and abundantly.
You are in our prayers always and we beseech yours in our behalf always.
His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America writes:
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey that hit Texas and continues to ravage through neighbouring states causing unprecedented destruction, trauma and loss of life, we share in the pain of our brothers and sisters and express our solidarity, care and concern. As Orthodox Christians we are called to prayer and fervently pray that God gives strength to those so adversely affected by this natural disaster and delivers them safe through this continuing calamity. We are also praying for the eternal rest of those who lost their lives and for comfort and strength to be granted by the merciful God to their families and friends. Our prayers however, should be accompanied by tangible assistance to those who are now in dire need. We ask all faithful Orthodox Christians to contribute their donations directly to IOCC, the International Orthodox Christian Charities, which is an agency under the auspices of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America.
Donations can also be made to the International Orthodox Christian Charities’ Hurricane Harvey Response Fund. Additionally, IOCC has deployed the Frontliners—a volunteer group of clergy and laity who are highly trained in emotional and spiritual care counseling and rapid needs —to Southern Texas.
Updated 8/31/17 to include the message of Abp. Demetrios.