FR. Dan Borlick, CM writes….Our Southern confreres – some safe, others still out of contact.I’m writing from Dallas, today Tuesday. We now know, with growing sadness and worry, of the tremendous devastation to New Orleans, Bay St. Louis, Long Beach, Gulfport, and Biloxi as well as many towns and rural areas in the Gulf coast region. Major roads are destroyed or underwater, bridges have completely disappeared or been seriously damaged, and people everywhere are still waiting to be picked up by helicopter or boat. It is quite hard to imagine, much less accept, such scale of destruction…we are
OUR SOUTHERN CONFRERES — SOME SAFE, OTHERS STILL OUT OF CONTACT
I have a new concern that we have heard nothing from two of our confreres who we know were in the Long Beach Mississippi area during the weekend…expecting, like so many others, that Katrina would hit New Orleans and not their area.
As it turned out anything near the beach in Long Beach — including St. Thomas Church, just celebrating their centennial — has disappeared or been destroyed by winds and the storm surge.
We last heard from Bob Lamy this weekend — he called that he was moving “farther inland” — but we now realize was staying in the Long Beach area .
Jim Ward, also visiting the area, left a message as he was heading to a storm shelter with the family he was visiting, to “wait out the storm”.
Of somewhat less concern is that, we’ve not yet heard from Lou Arceneaux who resides near Lafayette, Louisiana — an area also affected by the hurricane although not nearly as seriously.
The fact is that telephone communication (especially cellular) in most of Mississippi and much of Louisiana is either overloaded or completely down. So we can only wait and pray for their safety and that of countless others who remain out of contact with family or friends.
Meanwhile in Dallas this morning, Perry Henry led the “refugee CMs” (Jim Steinbach, George Weber, Mark Ford) in their first strategy session along with Jack Cawley – pastor of Holy Trinity; and myself. For the time being their residence has become:
Holy Trinity Parish Residence,
3826 Gilbert Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75219
THE PROPERTY SITUATION
We now know that New Orleans Mayor (Ray Nagin) and Louisiana’s governor (Kathleen Blanco) have ordered complete evacuation of New Orleans. Sadly, looting and generalized violence are rapidly on the rise, as is the water from the two un repaired levees. Even those neighborhoods that may not be as damaged by water have become largely inaccessible. In short it will take a long time before residents can return — probably a matter of 3-4 months — and of course the growing question of to what they will be returning!
Dan
Fr. Dan Borlik, CM
Provincial
Congregation of the Mission: Southern Province
3836 Gilbert Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75219
