Damage from Ida greater than initially believed

In your travels across the archdiocese thus far, what have you been able to determine about damages from Hurricane Ida?

The immediate aftermath of the hurricane looked very challenging, but as the insurance adjusters have gotten a firsthand look, the damage to churches, schools and parish facilities is worse than we thought initially. But, even more importantly and more urgently, we know that so many thousands of people have sustained serious losses to their homes, and some homes have been destroyed. What has made me so grateful to God is the outpouring of support by our parishes and parishioners who have come to the aid of their neighbors and others in the archdiocese. Parishes that haven’t sustained a lot of damage have sent in teams of volunteers – both adults and young adults – to the most seriously affected areas to gut people’s homes and help them in this time of tragedy. We are seeing the Good Samaritans among us living out that Gospel parable. These are not just pious words but concrete actions. Jesus talks about helping our neighbor and taking our neighbor’s burdens upon ourselves. We are seeing this played out over and over, and it’s truly inspiring to see. These teams have also brought and served food to people who desperately need it. They are walking with people, doing whatever they can to ease their burdens.

What are the most urgent needs that you are aware of?

It’s all urgent, so it’s difficult to say what has been most urgent. Obviously, we have had damages to churches, but there are people without homes, and the most urgent need is to take care of the homes so that they can be repaired as soon as possible. We have churches, schools and parish offices that cannot be used, and all of these are important. The damage has created an inconvenience and a burden. At the same time, we have a faithful God who works with us in times of adversity, and we know that we are not left alone.

Were you surprised by the extent of damage even to those areas that did not receive a direct hit from Ida?

Yes. The more I’ve traveled around the archdiocese and been able to talk to priests, I’ve been able to better understand the widespread nature of the damage to parish buildings, but I’ve also personally seen the homes of people that have been destroyed even in areas we didn’t think were so severely touched by the hurricane. Some have speculated there were tornadoes that inflicted a lot of extra damage. The number of homes that have been touched is an extraordinary number.

Have you gotten any updates from Second Harvest Food Bank and Catholic Charities about how their response is going?

Catholic Charities is doing whatever it can to facilitate the feeding of people through the deliveries from Second Harvest, and they do whatever they can to help with specific requests from parishes and individuals. But the primary thing that Catholic Charities is really an expert at is case management – helping people go through the FEMA and insurance process and helping them find stability. We will have Catholic Charities offices in the areas that were the hardest hit (see list below). And, as we commonly say, we are there from the beginning of the storm and we will be there until people are resettled. Second Harvest has done an amazing job getting food and supplies to people.

What have you heard from Bishop Fabre in Houma-Thibodaux?

I’ve been speaking with him regularly and, needless to say, they are overwhelmed. As dire as our situation is, theirs is worse. They’re being very much challenged. A response team is working with Bishop Fabre. He and I both realize that this recovery will take years. This is not something that will be resolved in the next year or two. This is years down the line before the infrastructure is rebuilt.

What should people do if they want to volunteer to help in the recovery process?

Probably the best way is to call directly to the parishes that are in need and find out what their needs are and offer their services. If they don't know which parishes to contact, they can contact Catholic Charities at (504) 523-3755.

Questions for Archbishop Aymond may be sent to [email protected].

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Catholic Charities to provide case management in parishes

Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans is assigning case workers to several parishes across the archdiocese in order to help those affected by Hurricane Ida navigate the recovery process.

The case workers will aid individuals in applying for FEMA and other types of governmental assistance, such as food stamps, and in filling out insurance paperwork. They also will direct persons to various places for food and supplies.

Here is a current list of sites at Catholic churches, categorized by Louisiana civil parish, to which Catholic Charities case workers have been assigned.

Please check the Catholic Charities website – www.ccano.org – for updates on parish sites:

• St. Charles Parish

         St. Anthony of Padua, 234 Angus Lane, Luling

• Jefferson Parish

         St. Anthony, 2653 Jean Lafitte Blvd., Lafitte

• St. John the Baptist Parish

         Ascension of Our Lord, 1900 Greenwood Drive, LaPlace

         St. Joan of Arc, 529 W. 5th St., LaPlace

• Plaquemines Parish

         St. Patrick, 28698 Hwy. 23, Port Sulphur

• St. Tammany Parish

          Northshore Catholic Center,
         4465 Highway 190 East Service Road, Covington