With the coming of Hurricane Irma this past week, we once again were reminded of how powerful nature can be and of how vulnerable we are. Some of us chose to stay here in south Florida to ride the storm out, some of chose to evacuate to a safer place, and some of us had no choice. Whatever our circumstance, we in south Palm Beach County breathed a sigh of relief knowing that it could have been much worse. At the same time, we feel a deep sadness for those who experienced a deadlier, harsher side of the storm.
At the writing of this bulletin message, first responders are still engaged in rescue efforts to save lives. Utility and communications companies are working to restore service. Relief organizations are in the process of responding with life-sustaining aid. And we, like so many communities of faith, are providing spiritual, emotional, and material support to those in need. If you know of someone whose needs are greater than your capacity to meet, please contact us so that we can try to find available resources.
As we are in the rescue and relief stage of Irma’s aftermath, our most effective response now is prayer and financial support for the relief effort. If you would like to donate to the relief effort, please make your check out to St. Paul’s with a note in the memo section that indicates that it is for “Hurricane Irma Relief”. There are baskets at the church entrance in which you can place your donation. As a parish, we will work with our local and diocesan outreach partners to help those affected by the storm.