After the storm comes time to chip in, folks.  A note from the Lone Star state that needs not stand alone in times such as these:

Greetings from Galveston-Houston!

As you have witnessed on national television, several areas within the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and the Diocese of Beaumont were heavily hit by Hurricane Ike. The amount of damage that has occurred from a category 2 system is almost surreal. As seen on the media, the hardest hit areas of the Archdiocese were Galveston Island, Port Bolivar, and Crystal Beach. Within the Diocese of Beaumont, Chambers County was hit hard. All of these areas are connected to the Gulf of Mexico or Galveston Bay. Major parts of the city of Houston and the surrounding metropolitan
area continue to be without power and some without water. Despite these odds, the spirit of the people continues to remain strong and hopeful. We thank you for your prayers and concern and inquiries about how we can be assisted.

At present, financial resources are being requested to assist those without power and those whose homes were destroyed get back on their feet. Donations may be sent to:

Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Hurricane Relief
P.O. Box 907
Houston, TX 77001-0907

If youth ministry programs would like to send Gift Cards to assist families with groceries and medications, please note the following types of pharmacies or companies (Walgreens, CVS, Kroger, HEB, or generic cards such as Visa and MasterCard). These too should be sent to the address above. I simply ask that you also send a note to me about the donation so that we can make note of the assistance from our national youth ministry community.

All financial donations with be shared with the Diocese of Beaumont. Donations of clothing are being handled internally through the St. Vincent DePaul Society.

Again, on behalf of Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, thank you for your prayers for the Church of Southeast Texas.

In Him,
Brian K. Johnson