St. Matthew Church issued the following announcement on Sept. 13. 

A Special Collection will be taken up next weekend, September 19/20 for those impacted by Hurricane Laura and other natural disasters. The funds collected will support the USCCB Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund. As Archbishop Gomez, President of the USCCB, states in his Letter: “The funds collected in this special appeal will become part of the Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund and will be used to support the efforts of Catholic Charities USA and/or Catholic Relief Services, as they and their local agencies respond to immediate emergency needs for such necessities as water, food, shelter, and medical care, and aid in long-term rebuilding and recovery efforts; and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for pastoral and reconstruction needs of the Church.” Bishop Gainer commented, “Just a few years ago I had the privilege of preaching the annual retreat to the priests of the Lake Charles Diocese. I was very impressed by their zeal and dedication. Now they and the people they serve need our help. I realize that the pandemic has impacted our families and parishes but I know the generosity of our Catholic faithful and trust that our sacrifices will not go unrewarded.” Please be generous. Envelopes for this collection are in the Narthex. Please make checks payable to St. Matthew Church.

Original source can be found here.