Archbishop Broglio calls for prayers, support of Hurricane Melissa victims

As Hurricane Melissa continued to devastate the Caribbean this week, Archbishop Timothy Broglio called on the faithful to lift up the affected communities in prayer and offer tangible support to those suffering in the Category 5 storm’s wake.

Archbishop Broglio, the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), noted in an Oct. 29 statement that the hurricane was one of the strongest Atlantic storms in history.

“Our brothers and sisters in small island nations like Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti are the most vulnerable to the impact of such strong storms, often intensified by a warming climate,” he wrote. “The Church accompanies, through prayer and action, all people who are suffering.”

According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm first made landfall near New Hope, Jamaica, on Oct. 28 with sustained winds of 185 mph, as CatholicVote previously reported. Jamaica’s prime minister declared a national disaster, and communication lines collapsed across much of the island as widespread destruction left entire neighborhoods in ruin.

“As Hurricane Melissa affects the Caribbean region, families face severe risk of flooding, landslides, displacement, and infrastructure damage with little resources to respond,” Archbishop Broglio said. “Our brothers and sisters in small island nations like Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti are the most vulnerable to the impact of such strong storms, often intensified by a warming climate. The Church accompanies, through prayer and action, all people who are suffering.” 

The archbishop concluded with a call for prayer and action.

“I urge Catholics and all people of good will to join me in praying for the safety and protection of everyone, especially first responders, in these devastated areas,” he said. “Let us stand in solidarity by supporting the efforts of organizations already on the ground such as Caritas Haiti, Caritas Cuba, and Caritas Antilles, as well as Catholic Relief Services, who are supplying essential, direct services and accompaniment to those in need.”