PRAYER REQUEST: PRIESTS MISSING IN NEW ORLEANS

The New York Times (reg. required) ^ | September 5, 2005 | Peter Applebome and Sewell Chan

[Deo volente]

No religious institution faced as daunting a challenge as the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Most of its parishioners have scattered, and half of its 300 priests are unaccounted for. But Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes of New Orleans, the spiritual leader of 500,000 people in one of the most heavily Roman Catholic regions in the United States, said he was preparing to put together his archdiocese "in exile."

"I never thought the Lord was going to ask me to take this on at 72," he said after celebrating an emotional Mass here at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, the seat of the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

Sunday was perhaps the first time since 1725 that Mass has not been said in a parish church in New Orleans, said Archbishop Hughes, adding that a few priests who stayed behind in the stricken city may have offered communion to individual Catholics around them. The task, as Archbishop Hughes described it, is to reorganize the Archdiocese of New Orleans, including an extensive charitable network and 104 parochial schools, in Baton Rouge.

The chaos surrounding Hurricane Katrina may have already claimed the life of one of his priests, the Rev. Thomas Kinney, who had cancer and died at St. Clare's Nursing Home in Baton Rouge on Saturday night, just after he evacuated from New Orleans. Two priests who stayed to minister to refugees in the Superdome are missing. Archbishop Hughes has not heard from a third priest, who went to the Louis Armstrong airport in New Orleans to tend to elderly, frail and disabled residents who were being airlifted for medical treatment.

[SaintDismas]

Dear God. I hope they find them alive and well

[trussell]

Prayer ping.

Please post your replies to Deo volente

Deo volente, My prayers go up for all who are missing.

AliVeritas - thank you for the ping.

Blessings,
trussell

If you want on/off my prayer ping list, please let me know. All requests happily honored.

[Alamo-Girl]

I join in prayer for their safe return!

[Ohioan from Florida]

Oh, Deo! Thank you for posting this. I will be keeping them in my prayers. I hope they are safe! God be with them!!

[Palladin]

One of the first things I thought about during this disaster was whether or not the priests had time to remove the Blessed Sacrament from all the tabernacles. If they did, what would they do with it?

Also, have the churches been saved from ransacking by the marauding hordes?

[Ciexyz]

May the lord watch over them.

[alpha-8-25-02]

PRAYERS FOR THEIR SAFETY!

[rockabyebaby]

Prayers up.

[GreenHornet]

My prayers are with all of those who serve God who are missing or suffering as a result of this storm.

[Angelas]

We need to pray more now...see my post:
Atheists Complaining about Bush's Request for Prayers
September 5 | © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com


Posted on 09/06/2005 5:38:28 PM PDT by Angelas


IN KATRINA'S WAKE Atheists: No prayer for disaster victims U.S. group says president violating Constitution by urging pleas to God

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Posted: September 5, 2005 9:15 p.m. Eastern

© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

Ellen Johnson

The American Atheists organization says President Bush should stop urging prayer for Hurricane Katrina victims because it violates the Constitution.

Ellen Johnson, president of the group said Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and Bush "should not be violating the Constitution by telling people to pray for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. It's unconstitutional for government officials to be promoting religion; and besides, judging from the speed of some relief efforts, officials should be busy working instead of preaching."

In urging her own flock to support disaster relief efforts, Johnson said: "Contrary to some, charity and mutual aid are not the monopoly of religious organizations."

While some government officials are calling for prayer and trying to focus public attention on the work done by some religious groups, America's diverse community of nonbelievers – Atheists, Freethinkers, Humanists and others – are joining the effort to support relief operations in New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast.

Johnson also expressed alarm about religious activities behind some relief efforts.

"We're getting reports of how some religion-based 'aid' groups are trying to fly evangelists into the stricken areas and how U.S. Army Chaplains are carrying Bibles – not food or water – to 'comfort' people at the New Orleans Superdome," she said. "People need material aid, medical care and economic support – not prayers and preaching."

Dave Silverman, communications director for American Atheists, went even further – blaming God for taking thousands of lives both in the Asian tsunami lat year and again in the Gulf Coast.

"It appears that despite all of the outbursts of public religiosity and prayer, 'God' was once again asleep at the wheel," he said. "Only human beings can deal with the calamities of the natural world. God doesn't seem to be much help when it comes to rushing food, water, or antibiotics when people are suffering."

Johnson said her group is trying to encourage atheists to contribute money to relief organizations that do not proselytize as part of their rescue efforts.

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1 posted on 09/06/2005 5:38:30 PM PDT by Angelas

[WV Mountain Mama]

Prayers for the missing priests and any and all followers God that have lost theirs lives. I pray that they are just so busy doing their calling, that they have not had a chance to call someone.

[fatima]

Prayers from me Deo volente for our priests.

[patriciamary]

Dear Lord,
Please Embrace Your Priests in Your Bright Light Of Strength, Grace and Wellness,so they may all be found and able to continue in Your Name here on Earth,Thank You Lord, Amen.

[RobbyS]

Amen.

[Romulus]

I have a key to the St. Patrick's rectory, but was unable to get access Tuesday am (I came into the city at sunup), or Thursday. I came out yesterday. It seems the door was barred from the inside. Tuesday there was no car in the driveway behind the locked gate; Thursday there was, but it was a strange one, with an out of state license plate. No one can get in there withour a key, but I have no idea who it was.

I hope to check back soon.

[Salvation]

Our prayers travel with you!

[Romulus]

I know, and could not have managed without them.