Dear Members,
You may be aware of the recent floods in Goa which has caused widespread damage to various parts of Goa destroying property and forcing people out of their waterlogged homes.
The Archbishop of Goa has made an earnest appeal (COPIED BELOW) for funds to provide relief for the flood victims. As a Goan Association in Australia we share our love for GOA and endeavor to help our brothers and sisters in their hour of need. The Executive Committee has decided to reach out to the Archbishop’s appeal and wish to raise funds from our members and the Goan community in Australia. The funds collected will be sent by GOA NSW to CARITAS INDIA, the social service wing of the Church. We appeal to members of the Goan Overseas Association and the Goan community to contribute generously towards this humanitarian cause.
Donations may please be sent by 30th Sept 2019 to our GOA NSW account as under.
Goan Overseas Association NSW Inc
A/C #060351161, BSB# 112879, St. George Bank.
REF: GOAFLOOD
Thanking you for your generosity.
GOA NSW EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Archbishop of Goa calls for helping flood victims
23 AUG 2019
PANJIM: Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Rev Filipe Neri Ferrao has issued a circular requesting the people to pray and to contribute generously towards the Caritas fund for the victims of recent floods.
The Circular says, “We are all aware of the devastating floods that recently wreaked havoc in at least nine states of our country, resulting in an unprecedented loss of life and property. The death toll is nearing the 400 mark, with more than 47 lakh people displaced across thousands of relief camps in Assam, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala alone.”
“Flooding of this scale in the above-mentioned States has put whole communities, settlements, livestock and wildlife to a great risk. Our very own State of Goa and some other States like Gujarat, Maharashtra (including our neighbouring diocese of Sindhudurg). Tamil Nadu and Odisha have also faced the Nature’s fury”, the circular further states.
Appealing to the people, the Archbishop said, “In this hour of pain, we need to reach out to our brothers and sisters in distress, not only through our prayer, but also materially. The Church in Goa has been magnanimous in the past, when natural calamities of this nature have created havoc in the lives of whole population. Time has come to rise again to the call of distress. Recalling the exhortation of St Paul, “Let love be genuine” (Rom. 12:9), let us respond to this great challenge and contribute to help the victims to return to their villages and reconstruct their lives.”
The Archbishop said, “Our Archdiocese is placed under the sign of the Good Samaritan during this Pastoral Year. I invite all people of good will to respond generously to this crisis and thus help provide relief and support to the affected people.”
Caritas India, the social service wing of the Church for humanitarian work, is already in the field, joining hands with government and other agencies to provide immediate relief and assistance to the affected people.
