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Catholic Diocese Collecting Funds for Tsunami Victims

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Jan. 7, 2005 — The local Catholic Diocese is collecting funds to provide emergency relief for victims of the tsunami disaster. Donations collected locally will be sent to Catholic Relief Services (CRS), to provide tsunami victims with food, medicine, clean water, emergency shelter, and basic hygiene and household supplies. Catholic Relief Services is the official international relief and development agency of the U.S. Catholic Bishop's community.
In a release from Catholic Relief Services, Virgin Islands Catholic Bishop George V. Murry, who serves on the Board of Directors of Catholic Relief Services, said that field representatives are distributing life-saving supplies to the tsunami victims and that CRS has pledged $25 million so far to the relief effort.
"Catholic Relief Services has pledged ten times more than any other church in the world to the tsunami relief effort, "Murry said."We can be very proud of how our church has responded to the needs of those who are suffering from the tsunami."
Catholic Relief Services was founded in 1943 to assist World War II refugees. Since then CRS has continued to provide emergency relief to victims of natural disasters, as well as refugees fleeing war-torn areas. CRS operates in 94 countries worldwide to bring relief, development assistance and hope to people in need.
To contribute to the rescue and rehabilitation efforts of Catholic Relief Services, monetary donations can be made through Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands which will forward the donations to CRS.
Donations can be sent to Catholic Charities of the V.I. at P.O. Box 10736, St. Thomas, VI 00801 or delivered to the Catholic Charities office (tel: 777-8518) at 68 Kronprindsens Gade across from Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Charlotte Amalie. To donate online, go to www.CatholicRelief.org.
During the past year, Catholic Charities of the VI, through the generosity of Virgin Islanders, sent $11,000 to CRS which provided emergency supplies to the victims of flooding in Haiti last spring, and to those who suffered from the September hurricanes which devastated Haiti and Grenada.

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