September 24, 2005
By Bob Williams

Bishop D. Bruce MacPherson and the Diocese of Western Louisiana continue their ministries of emergency relief, shelter and pastoral care in the wake of Hurricane Rita's landfall today, with outreach including on-going care for evacuees displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

"We just got power, telephone and computer access back within the last hour or so," MacPherson wrote by e-mail from central Louisiana about 9:30p.m.

He said he "spent the day endeavouring to communicate with the diocese via my cell phone. Unfortunately so much of the southern portion of the diocese is without services of any kind.

"The southeastern portion of the diocese has sustained wind and water damage and is under threat of flooding this night. I have been able to make contact with most of the clergy in that area. From what I have been able to ascertain, structural damage to churches has been minimal based upon the people that I have talked with.

"The southwestern portion of the diocese took a real hit from Rita, and I have not been able to make contact with anyone. Unfortunately the conditions up in Central Louisiana where I am located have been extremely severe with much rain and wind throughout the day, and we continue at this moment with tremendous wind and the threat of flash flooding.

"Just having our power returned, along with the cable communications for television, we are just getting my first glimpse of the extent of some of the damage in the Lake Charles Convocation, and there is much damage and flooding that has taken place there. Unfortunately I am unable at this time to determine what has taken place with respect to church structures and people. There are about seven churches in the area that has been affected most severely, and this convocation represents quite a large geographical area within the diocese."

MacPherson said his "prayer is for things to have cleared enough by morning" to allow him and his wife, Susan, "to be able to head down there to see how things are, and in the interim, we will continue to try to locate and communicate with the clergy and lay leaders in the area, but again, no communications are open."

Updates will be forwarded as they become available through ENS. [For full hurricane-response resources – and to contribute to Episcopal Relief and Development – visit http://www.episcopalchurch.org/help/.]

MacPherson confirmed that the storm continues at this time through the diocese and is working its way "toward Shreveport in the north and across toward Mississippi."

"One of the things that has contributed to our opportunity to be responsive to this and the people evacuating from across southern Louisiana is that we still have vast numbers of Katrina evacuees in the diocese," MacPherson added. "In fact, our camp and conference center is once again filled to capacity, and a portion of these folks are Katrina people that had not been able to leave as yet."

MacPherson added that Western Louisiana's diocesan communications officer, Bob Harwell, continues his work of compiling the latest reports. Information is available via the diocesan website,www.diocesewla.org.

In an online message to the diocese earlier today, MacPherson reassured "brothers and sisters in the Lake Charles and Acadiana Convocations... that they are very much on our hearts and in our prayers." His message also alerted people of the "Alexandria, Monroe and Shreveport Convocations of the potential need of housing for some of these folks."

MacPherson noted that about 40 Katrina evacuees still in residence at the diocese's Hardtner Camp and Conference Center, where some 150 additional people have filled the facility to capacity.

The bishop also asked people in the Alexandria, Monroe or Shreveport Convocations to consider providing housing for clergy and parishioners displaced by the storm's effects.

In recent reflections, MacPherson wrote to the diocese earlier this month: "As with many, I have looked into the eyes of those who do not know if there is a future, those who find themselves in a strange place and feeling very alone and abandoned. What can we do? Most important, remember the God of our faith, the presence of Christ, for through us these very people can and will encounter the living Christ, the Lord Jesus. We need to remember to pray, and yes, to support one another, and through the shared strength of our faith, minister without counting the cost."

Episcopal News Service
Robert Williams is communication director for the Episcopal Church.