Church launches national bushfire response as Australia is engulfed in ‘unprecedented calamity’ January 7, 2020 By Mark Bowling
Unprecedented: Sheep are seen as Rural Fire Service crews engage in property protection during wildfires along the Old Hume Highway near the town of Tahmoor, Australia, outside Sydney, Dec. 19, 2019. Wildfires have been burning since August and have destroyed an area comparable to the combined region of the Netherlands and Belgium. (CNS photo/Dean Lewins, AAP via Reuters) See AUSTRALIA-FIRES Jan. 3, 2020.
THE Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has launched a national Church response to deal with the unprecedented scale of the bushfire crisis.
“The efforts of firefighters have been heroic. The resilience of the communities affected has been extraordinary,” ACBC president Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane said.
“This has been Australia at its best … but we need more than words. Expressions of solidarity are important, but they are not enough.”
The bishops have announced a five-pronged response to include:
A national network connecting people affected by the bushfires with people who can help with tasks such as preparing meals, clearing properties, rebuilding communities, as well as pastoral and counselling support.
Collaboration with key national agencies like Catholic Health Australia, Catholic Social Services Australia, the National Catholic Education Commission and the St Vincent de Paul Society to ensure as effective a response as possible from the wider Catholic community.
Co-operating with Catholic Religious Australia and religious institutes and their ministries.
Parishes across the country taking up a special collection at Masses on the Australia Day weekend, with all funds to be donated to Vinnies’ bushfire appeal.
The distribution of special prayers and other resources for use in parishes, families and other Catholic communities.
As well as donations at Masses on Australia Day weekend, people are encouraged to support the immediate response and the ongoing work of Vinnies by donating online.
“Our experts on the ground – from agencies like Vinnies, CatholicCare and Centacare, in parishes and other Catholic communities, including Catholic hospitals and aged-care providers – know this will be a long-term process to help people and whole towns rebuild,” Archbishop Coleridge said.
“With broad and deep roots across the nation, the Church stands ready to walk alongside people throughout their journey of recovery.
“Facing this exceptional crisis, we renew our call for insistent prayer for those stricken by drought and fire, for those who have lost their lives in the fires and their families, for rain to quench the parched land and extinguish the fires, and for urgent action to care for our common home in order to prevent such calamities in the future.
“A genuinely Catholic response to a crisis of this magnitude must draw strength from prayer which inspires concrete and compassionate action.”
Donations to the Vinnies Bushfire Appeal in partnership with Channel Nine have passed the $1 million mark.
Jack de Groot, CEO of St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, praised the generosity of those who have donated to the appeal but noted that more support is needed as summer begins.
“The response to the Vinnies Bushfire Appeal is welcome news among all the terrible destruction caused by the fires, including the tragic loss of life. It’s shown us yet again that Australians step up for one another in times of great need, and we are so grateful to our donors and Channel Nine,” Mr de Groot said.
“With summer starting this weekend, the challenges we’ve already seen are likely to continue and possibly worsen. Despite the heroic efforts of firefighters, there will be many more people in need of our support in the weeks and months ahead. For this reason, we will be keeping the Vinnies Bushfire Appeal going for the foreseeable future.”
Vinnies is working collaboratively with government agencies to help displaced families and individuals with their immediate needs, including food and clothing.
One of the many people assisted over the past month was Alysoun Learmonth, whose Yarrowitch home went up in flames on 7 November. The change in conditions came so suddenly that Ms Learmonth only had time to gather a few essentials and her beloved Staffy bull terrier, Kirra, before heading west to safety in Walcha.
“The support from Vinnies has been fantastic. They’ve provided bags and bags of donations; clothes, vouchers for food, they’ll put little extras in the boot of my car,” Ms Learmonth said.
“The love and support from the community have been incredible.”
As well as immediate assistance, donations to the Vinnies Bushfire Appeal will be allocated to community recovery projects in the months ahead, helping the worst-struck communities get back on their feet.
“We will be on hand during the long recovery phase as people rebuild their lives, often from scratch,” Mr de Groot said.
Mr de Groot said a major strength of Vinnies is that its volunteers live and work in local communities, and know their neighbours’ needs first-hand.
“We are so grateful for the amazing support so far and ask that those in more fortunate circumstances spare a thought and a few dollars for our fellow Australians doing it tough. Every dollar donated to the Vinnies Bushfire Appeal goes directly to helping those people affected.”
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