My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
At the Knights of Columbus annual convention in Nashville, I came down from my room to concelebrate morning Mass with the other bishops when I was greeted by one with the question, "Did you hear about the tornado in Brooklyn?" Well, I just could not believe it. I thought my fellow bishop was pulling my leg. Being in Tennessee, where tornados are more frequent, I thought he was playing some kind of joke. As other bishops arrived for Mass and expressed their concern, I realized that it was true; we did have a tornado in Brooklyn. We are so accustomed to having human disasters here in Brooklyn and Queens that the prospect of natural disasters seems somewhat farfetched.
My first thoughts were for those who suffered any damage from the tornado and heavy rains. I offer them my concern and sympathy. Fortunately, there was no loss of life directly connected to the incident in Brooklyn. Experiencing this kind of disruption, however, is never easy. As New Yorkers, we are used to toughing it out. Our reputation nationally is one that is somewhat well deserved, since we are able to deal with very difficult situations and then move on.
Not so long ago, there was concern about another possible natural disaster here in the Diocese and that is coastal flooding. Sometimes we do not realize the long coastline that is the perimeter of the Diocese of Brooklyn. From the East River to the Atlantic Ocean, and especially in the Rockaways, we are living on the edge of the sea. Living at water's edge, the prospects of global warming and its effect on coastal water levels are issues that we are beginning to think about. A recent movie portrayed New York City inundated by water with only its skyscrapers above the water line. There are some in the Rockaways who have taken this threat seriously and begun a campaign of prayer for protection against rising sea water and even a possible tsunami, and they have asked for my prayers. On a more practical level of prevention, our Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens is working with Commissioner Joseph F. Bruno of the City Office of Emergency Management and other agencies and religious groups to develop and implement a disaster relief plan in the event of serious coastal flooding that a severe hurricane might cause. We are indebted to Robert Siebel, executive director of Catholic Charities, and Sister Ellen Patricia Finn, O.P., associate executive director, for their work in this important disaster response program.
It is important to note that after the tornado struck Brooklyn, Catholic Charities was on the scene to offer food, to assess financial needs and to provide case management as advocates for the victims. Our Lady of Perpetual Help parishioners were also supportive, whose help included providing translations for non-English-speaking persons. Catholic Charities staff and volunteers at the Our Lady of Angels Human Service Center continue to be available to assist neighbors affected by the storm.
There are some who think that planning for a disaster somehow brings such a disaster about. But I am not sure that way of thinking is at all correct. Better that we prepare ourselves for any eventuality so that if it does occur, at least some plan of action can be followed for the protection of those most at risk.
Let us take this opportunity to pray for all those affected by natural disasters. A calamity such as the collapse of the bridge over the Mississippi River recently in Minneapolis reminds us of the frailty of human existence. God's providence, however, sustains us and our prayer for God's protection is always an important one that we make.
To "put out into the deep" in planning for eventual impossible disasters is not an easy task. We naturally shy away from it. But good sense tells us that it is wiser to be prepared than to make light of any possible natural disaster.
