Parishes and Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles will take up special collections Sunday and Oct. 11 to assist victims of deadly flooding and landslides in Nepal.
The emergency collections will assist people affected by an Aug. 26 glacial outburst flood and landslide in the Nepal-Tibet border region, according to the archdiocese.
The disaster unleashed flash floods and debris flows across northern Nepal, sweeping away villages and destroying homes, schools, hospitals and other infrastructure, the archdiocese said.
Nearly 1.6 million people have been affected, more than 1,400 have been confirmed dead, more than 5,600 remain missing and thousands have been injured.
Rescue and recovery operations were continuing more than a month after the disaster, with displaced families facing the task of rebuilding their homes and communities.
Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, has called for an international humanitarian response and offered prayers and support to the people of Nepal, according to the archdiocese.
The Los Angeles archdiocese said it was joining that call on behalf of Archbishop José H. Gomez and encouraging Catholics to contribute to the relief effort.
Money collected by the archdiocese will be sent to Catholic Relief Services, the international relief agency of the Catholic Church in the United States.
Donations can also be made directly to Catholic Relief Services at crs.org/donate/nepal-flood or by calling 877-435-7277.