February 9, 2010

Members of the 104 parishes in the Diocese of Allentown have contributed almost a half million dollars to a special collection for earthquake relief in Haiti, the Diocese announced today.

In the wake of last month's devastating earthquake, the Most Reverend John O. Barres, Bishop of Allentown, authorized special collections in parishes on the weekend of January 23 and 24. He said, "The devastating and tragic impact of the earthquake and the destruction and loss of life that resulted requires us to respond." A total of $461,318.46 has been collected.

The money will be sent to Catholic Relief Services (www.crs.org), which since the quake, has distributed food aid to 264,000 people, non-food aid to 25,000 people, and medical care and treatment to more than 4,000 people in Haiti.

Catholic Relief Services is headquartered in Baltimore. The Bishops of the United States founded it in 1943 to serve the poor and disadvantaged and to alleviate human suffering. It operates on five continents in over 90 countries. 

Contact: Matt Kerr610-871-5200, Extention 265