(from New York) The US Bishops Conference, along with Caritas and the Society of St Vincent, is monitoring the situation of the dioceses of Texas, hit by Hurricane Harvey, which in the weekend devastated all the region with winds and floods, leaving people dead, injured and homeless. In the last few hours, the emergency number 911 received over 56 thousand calls for help. A nurse from Houston, who has been working non stop since last Friday, told us that last Sunday just four colleagues out of 20 could reach the ward, but emergencies are rising all the time. The president of the US Bishops Conference, cardinal Daniel DiNardo, bishop of Galveston-Houston, called everyone to pray and help others, especially the poorer ones, who already live in the streets and are in great danger. “People are trapped on roofs and water keeps rising – the bishop wrote in a message to his brethren -. We thank all those who right now are risking their lives to save others and all those heroes that are helping their needier neighbours”.

The bishop of Corpus Chirsti, Michael Mulvey, too decided to stay on the side of his congregation and not leave his home on the bay, in the forefront of the storm, where he is right now with the vicar and the director of the vocation service. “I wanted to stay, because among us there are those who cannot leave the town and are often the poorer ones. I want to be here for them too”. The bishop sent a message on Facebook to his congregation, calling it to “stay together, pray” and have St Peter’s faith during the storms, when “Jesus calmed the troubled seas“. In his video message, he thanked the police, the doctors and all the rescuers who are doing their utmost non stop in town.