Special second collection sends $290,000 to Oklahoma City Archdiocese
Responding to the Gospel challenge??It is better to give than to receive,? (Acts 20:35)? the Faithful of the Diocese of Cleveland have once again generously come to the assistance of those in dire need. Thousands of people in Oklahoma City are still feeling the effects of the disastrous tornados which struck last May.
Following reports of the devastation, Most Reverend Richard Lennon, Bishop of Cleveland, requested a special second collection at all of the parishes to aid those who were in the path of the killer tornados. The response from nearly every parish was overwhelmingly generous.
Often, parishioners will ask how much money was raised and where did it go? More than $290,000 went directly to the Oklahoma City Archdiocese where it is being used to assist the 3,200 families in their recovery. Housing and personal belongings are being supplied, but as the archdiocesan newspaper, Sooner Catholic reports, a new initiative is being launched to deal with the emotional aftermath for all those involved. Adult depression, anxiety, divorce, and domestic violence are now apparent. Children and adolescents also begin to act out in response to the horror of the tornados. The new program, ?Project Together? will assist in the financing of counselors; at least two who are bilingual, in helping the victims cope.
A review of the parish participation in the campaign reveals the extraordinary generosity of all the parishes in the Cleveland Diocese in bringing ?Oklahoma? relief from the devastation.