Top US bishop to visit Yolanda-hit areas in February

Areas hit by super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) last year will get a visit from yet another international figure this month – the top Catholic bishop of the United States, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines said.

The CBCP over the weekend said Louisville Archbishop and US Conference of Catholic Bishops president Joseph Kurtz will lead a delegation to see recovery efforts.

Yolanda had left more than 6,200 dead in its wake after it devastated Visayas and Southern Luzon.

Kurtz's delegation, including officials of the Catholic Relief Services, are expected to be in the Philippines Feb. 2 to 7. They are expected to visit Eastern Samar and Leyte, the CBCP said.

“(O)n the eve of the Super Bowl, I’m packing sneakers to join a delegation with CRS to meet with Filipino church leaders and people from Samar and Leyte,” Kurtz said.

“I and others are visiting personally so that we can wrap our hearts and minds around the situation. This firsthand look will enable us to adequately convey to fellow Catholics the spiritual, physical and emotional extent of the damage,” he added.

He said he plans to visit Palo, one of the areas hit hardest by Yolanda.

"I’ll walk through rubble to let people know that the Catholic Church in the United States cares and will help,” he said.

Accompanying Kurtz are CRS Chairman of the Board and Oklahoma Archbishop Paul Coakley, Sr. Carol Keehan, president of Catholic Health Association, and Carolyn Woo, president and CEO of CRS.

Kurtz also noted Filipinos in the US, the second largest Asian-American community there, "agonize for their homeland."

"This trip reflects solidarity of the church in the US with Filipinos on both sides of the Pacific. Catholicism’s liturgies and devotions are integral to the Filipino community,” he added.

Earlier, the CRS said its aid efforts have now shifted from emergency assistance to long-term recovery and stability programs. — LBG, GMA News

Source: Google Alert - "Leyte"