tvc.dsj.org | October 10, 2017
Catholic Charities Assists Catholic Relief Services with Disaster
Recovery Support for Survivors of Deadly Mexico Earthquakes
A second deadly earthquake hit
Mexico on September 19. Catholic
Charities of Santa Clara County is help-
ing our global partners, Catholic Relief
Services (CRS) respond to vulnerable
families in Mexico City. Please join us
and donate to help our brothers and
sisters affected by the earthquakes.
Catholic Relief Services – along
with local and global partners – has
been responding in Mexico to help
with disaster relief after the first fatal
earthquake hit on Sept. 7. CRS will
continue to assess the needs and help
with recovery, rebuilding, and support
for survivors.
“Our hearts go out to our brothers
and sisters in Mexico affected by the
recent earthquakes,” said Gregory R.
Kepferle, CEO of Catholic Charities of
Santa Clara County. “We encourage
people to pray and to donate directly
to Catholic Relief Services, which pro-
vides disaster relief outside the U.S.
Funds will help Caritas Mexico help the
long-term recovery of the earthquake
survivors.”
Gregory R. Kepferle, CEO of Catholic Charities
of Santa Clara County, and Father Jon Pedigo,
Director of Advocacy & Community Engage-
ment, at Catholic Charities speak with Channel
7 News during a press conference. Kepferle
received a check to help Catholic Relief Ser-
vices provide disaster relief to survivors of the
Mexico earthquakes.
Your gift will help provide emer-
gency supplies to earthquake survivors
who desperately need assistance. Dona-
tions can be made at www.crs.org.
“I have worked in many parishes
as a parochial vicar and as pastor and
have wanted a way that I could direct
my parishioners to help people in
Monsignor Francis Cilia, Vicar General for the Diocese of San Jose, awards Dan Maciejewski,
the long-time Facilities Manager at Saint Elizabeth Parish in Milipitas, the Cross Pro Ecclesia et
Pontifice Award (For the Church and the Pontiff). The papal award is bestowed on individuals
for their service to the Church. The local Bishop nominates an individual for the award, which
is granted by the Holy See.
areas affected by natural disasters,”
said Father Jon Pedigo, who was re-
cently appointed by Bishop McGrath
to join Catholic Charities of Santa
Clara County as Director of Advocacy
and Community Engagement. “Since I
began working at Catholic Charities, I
have seen how our Catholic agency can
play a pivotal role in connecting parish
communities that want to make a dif-
ference to communities that have been
struck by hurricanes or earthquakes. I
feel blessed to be a part of an agency
that will take the lead in coordinating
a sustained local Catholic response to
domestic and foreign disasters.”
Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA)
and Catholic Relief Services are U.S.
members of Caritas Internationalis, the
global federation of Catholic Charities
organized at the Vatican. CCUSA is the
disaster relief agency designated by the
U.S. Bishops for emergency assistance
in the U.S. CCUSA is also supporting
local Catholic Charities agencies’ hur-
ricane relief efforts in Texas, Florida,
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
COMMUNITY
5
Neighborhood Solidarity
Prayer Service on
September 11
On September 11, Saint Thomas of
Canterbury Catholic Church hosted
an inspiring and very well received
Neighborhood Solidarity Prayer
Service with 180 people of diverse re-
ligious and cultural backgrounds in
attendance. Representatives of seven
Muslim, Jewish and Christian com-
munities shared prayers and songs of
peace and symbols of our common
hopes and values. Many more com-
munities were present and mingled
during the following reception.
Participants were unified in love,
respect and spreading the message of
peace for all. The service closed with
prayers from Pastor Father Dave Mer-
cer for those affected by hurricanes
and a blessing of first responders.
Some were called away to respond to
an emergency, returning during the
reception to a heroes’ welcome from a
community deeply grateful for their
selfless service, daily putting lives of
others ahead of their own.