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Southern Cross, Page 2
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Thursday, April 16, 2020
Bishops dedicate
Americas to Our Lady
of Guadalupe during
pandemic
MEXICO CITY (CNS)
Latin American and
Caribbean bishops have dedi
cated the Americas to the care
of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
praying for her “maternal pro
tection” during the COVID-19
pandemic. In a closed-door
Mass celebrated Easter, April
12, at the Basilica of Our Lady
of Guadalupe, Mexico City
Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes
prayed to the patroness of the
Americas, asking her to trans
form “our fear into joy” and to
comfort the afflicted. “In these
moments, like (St.) Juan Diego,
feeling ‘small’ and fragile in
the face of illness and pain, we
lift our prayers and dedicate
ourselves to you,” Cardinal
Aguiar prayed. “We dedicate
our peoples to you, especially
your most vulnerable children:
the elderly, the young, the ill,
the indigenous, immigrants,
the homeless, inmates. We
come before your immaculate
heart and we implore your
intercession: provide us, from
your son, health and hope.
Most Holy Virgin Mary ...
strengthen the moribund and
comfort those who cry. May
your maternal caress comfort
the sick and may you accom
pany the health professionals
who care for them. And, for all
of us, Mother, be present and
tender, and in your arms may
we all find safety.”
Church leaders call for
aid and prayers following
deadly tornadoes, storms
WASHINGTON (CNS)
Two U.S. archbishops are
asking for prayers, but also
for help for those affected by
a series of storms and torna
does that tore through several
states beginning on Easter
and going into the following
day, leaving more than two
dozen dead. Archbishop Jose
H. Gomez of Los Angeles, pres
ident of the U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops, and
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley
of Oklahoma City, chairman
of the USCCB Committee on
Domestic Justice and Human
Development, issued a joint
statement April 13. “This
Easter Monday began with
the sad news that storms
U.S. Navy sailors in Los Angeles practice social distancing as they attend
Easter sunrise service on the flight deck aboard the hospital ship USNS
Mercy April 12, 2020. As of April 13, more than 23,000 people have died in
the U.S. because of the virus. (CNS photo/U.S. Navy, Mass Communication
Specialist 2nd Class Ryan M. Breeden handout via Reuters)
swept through multiple states
in the South overnight, kill
ing at least 19 people at the
time of this statement across
Mississippi, Georgia, Arkansas
and South Carolina,” they said.
“The weather also inflicted
significant damage in Texas,
Louisiana and West Virginia.
Many people have suffered
damage or loss of their homes.”
The death toll had climbed to
30 by mid-afternoon April 13.
“In the midst of these tragedies,
we must reach out and offer
assistance to those affected,
especially those who are griev
ing the loss of loved ones,” the
prelates’ statement said. “This
situation is made even more
difficult by the ongoing coro-
navirus pandemic. We pray for
those who are suffering, for
those who have died, and for
the first responders who are
courageously offering help. We
also pray for those who remain
in the path of these storms and
for their safety and well-being.”
Schools raise money for
cancer research, support
families with sick kids
SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (CNS)
Rachel Kolar has a love/hate
relationship with the date of
March 9. On one hand, she
loves it because it is her son,
Reece’s, birthday, and she
will never forget welcoming
him into the world on that
day back in 2012. But, on the
other hand, it was the date
in 2018 that she found out
he had cancer. It was brain
cancer - medulloblastoma to
be exact. At just 6 years old,
Reece faced brain surgery,
chemotherapy and radiation.
He endured 56 weeks of treat
ments, including 30 radiation
treatments and 37 weeks of
chemotherapy. The brain sur
gery left him mute for three
weeks and unable to walk for
six. Gradually, Reece, who is
now 8 and a second grader at
Summerville Catholic School,
regained strength and has
been declared NED - no evi
dence of disease. And through
it all, her Catholic faith never
left her. But, she said, that it
was the “huge support system”
that Summerville Catholic
provided for her family that
was truly powerful. Over the
past two years, the school has
held a number of fundraisers
to help the family, and also
for pediatric cancer research
in general. Throughout the
Diocese of Charleston, South
Carolina, schools participated
in a program called Kidz in
Lids, which raised over $6,000
for cancer research from 14
schools.
Migrant ministries call
for end to deportations
during pandemic
’ MEXICO CITY (CNS)
Catholic migrant ministries
of Mexico, Guatemala and
Honduras have called for an
end to deportations during the
COVID-19 crisis, saying the
practice exposes an already
vulnerable group to health
and security risks - especial
ly those sent summarily to
countries of which they are not
citizens. In a statement issued
over the April 11-12 Easter
weekend, the ministries called
for the release of migrants held
in detention centers while their
cases were being processed, cit
ing health and humanitarian
reasons. They also asked that
governments “promote concrete
actions to protect the rights
of migrants and refugees” and
“not politicize” the coronavirus
crisis. “We observe with worry
that Mexico ... is allowing its
neighbor to the north to deport
citizens of any country into its
territory, including many with
out (having received) due pro
cess and without offering them
the protections necessary,” the
statement said, adding that
“entire families” were being
sent to dangerous Mexican
border towns “at all hours of
the night, making them easy
prey for organized crime. It’s
worrisome, the deportation of
non-Mexican citizens from the
United States, whom Mexico
receives without offering a visa
to be legally in the country,”
the statement continued.
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