Parishioners of parishes in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles helped raise $200,000 during a special collection in August to directly help those affected by the Maui wildfires, according to the Mission Office.
Optional second collections were made at parishes throughout the archdiocese on Aug. 19-20 and Aug. 26-27 after the devastation of the Maui wildfires in early August.
The fire in Lahaina killed more than 100 people and destroyed thousands of homes, businesses, and schools, forcing more than 7,000 people to find other places to live. The wildfires were the deadliest disaster in Hawaii’s history.
Several organizations, both Catholic and otherwise, have sprung into action to help those affected, including Catholic Charities of Hawaii and the Catholic Foundation of Hawaii.
Bishop Larry Silva of the Diocese of Honolulu, which oversees Maui, said he was especially thankful for the generous support shown by those in the Archdiocese of LA and beyond.
“You have been wonderful in sending in contributions to help that community recover, to help their schools continue, and to help those who are without homes find a place to live and a job,” Silva said. “I’m very grateful.”
Parishioners in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles have always been known to be generous when it comes to donation assistance. In special collections, the archdiocese has raised about $1 million each for World Mission Sunday and the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. LA Catholics have recently responded to the recent war in the Holy Land with different forms of relief and support.
Donations can still be made to the Catholic Foundation of Hawaii at tinyurl.com/MauiCatholic or Catholic Charities of Hawaii at catholiccharitieshawaii.org.
