WASHINGTON—Cardinal
Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, President of the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops, has issued the following statement on the
impact of Hurricane Maria. The
storm has devastated Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Dominica. Now downgraded to Category-3 winds, the storm
is expected to bring more heavy rain and flash floods as it makes landfall
later today in the Turks and Caicos.

Full
statement follows:

“Just
as we begin to assess the material and emotional damage of hurricanes Harvey
and Irma, the devastation of yet another storm, Hurricane Maria, has struck the
U.S. Virgin Islands and Dominica, and has battered Puerto Rico with
catastrophic effects unprecedented in the island’s modern history. I exhort the
faithful to solidarity in this time of great need for our brothers and sisters
in harm’s way—many of whom have been hit repeatedly by the successive
hurricanes.

“Casting
aside any temptation to despair, and full of hope in the loving Providence of
God, we pray that our Father may receive unto his loving presence those who
have lost their lives, may he comfort the grieving, and may he fortify the
courage and resilience of those whose lives have been uprooted by these
disasters. May he extend the might of his right hand and bid the sea be ‘quiet’
and ‘still’ (Mark 4:39).”

—

Keywords:
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo,
Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Dominica, Turks and Caicos
Islands, solidarity.

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Media
Contact:
Judy
Keane
202-541-3200

Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops