Dear Members of the Fordham Family:
By now I am sure you have heard about the unimaginable suffering and death caused by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The scale of the devastation is not to be understated, and it follows on the heels of a major earthquake last month that had already depleted relief funds and
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| Photo courtesy AFP |
supplies. As of this writing, there are an estimated 10,000 dead and nearly 620,000 displaced in the wake of the storm, with another 9.5 million affected—altogether, fully ten percent of the population of the Philippines.
Right now, what the people of the Philippines need more than anything else are relief funds: no other need is as urgent, nor is any other kind of relief as effective. Therefore, until further notice, all collections at all Masses at the University Church and at services at the Lincoln Center and Westchester campuses will be donated to Catholic Relief Services for Philippines aid, including special collections for that purpose (those collections began Sunday, Nov. 10, at Rose Hill, at all of the University Church Masses). Any additional donations may be made to:
Fordham Disaster Relief Fund
Fordham University
C/O Office of the President
Rose Hill Campus
Bronx, NY 10458
All donations received will be sent to Catholic Relief Services.
At the same time, the offices of University Mission and Ministry and Student Affairs are reaching out to students, faculty, and staff to determine whether they or their families have been affected by this disaster, and what the University can do to help them.
I know you all join with me today in prayer for the victims and survivors of Haiyan. I have no doubt that you will be part of a great outpouring of compassion for the Filipino people, and that in the coming weeks you will take part in many services and relief efforts on their behalf. But today, now, I will say this: if our tradition of being men and women for others means anything, it means donating as generously as you can to help the people of the Philippines in their hour of agony.
I know that you will rise to the challenge (the Fordham community has always done so). Know that you, too, are in my thoughts and prayers.
Sincerely,
Joseph M. McShane, S.J.
