MADISON — Following upon Pope Francis’ call for assistance for survivors of the massive earthquakes in Nepal and India, Bishop Robert C. Morlino has encouraged people in the Diocese of Madison to provide support for earthquake relief.
It is left to the discretion of pastors as to whether a special collection is held in parishes for relief efforts. If a collection is held, parishes are asked to send contributions to the diocesan Office of Finance, which will forward funds to Catholic Relief Services (CRS). CRS is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States.
Individuals can also donate directly to CRS online for victims of the Nepal/India earthquake (go to www.crs.org). Donations made online are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed under law.
The Office of Communications has added a link on the diocesan website (www.madisondiocese.org) to the CRS emergency relief webpage.
CRS reports that its teams are distributing emergency relief supplies in Nepal. As of May 4, at least 2,500 people had received emergency shelter kits, including tarps and tools, as well as other critical items like blankets and sanitation items.