Those of us old enough to remember may recall the tornado in Omaha of 1975. It touched down in Sarpy County west of 96th Street and didn’t lift off the ground until it reached Benson Park 10 miles away.
At the time, it was the costliest tornado in US history. Three people died and 138 were injured. I remember working at Target several miles away and taking cover away from the big windowpanes in front of the store, since there was not a basement. I can only imagine what would have happened if the tornado would have cut through that crowded store.
Since our house was built on a hill, my mother could easily see the funnel cloud as it touched down.
Recently, an even more devastating EF-5 tornado struck Joplin, Missouri. Unlike the tornado of ’75 in Omaha, the loss of life was much higher. As of June 3, the death toll has risen to 138. More than 8,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, with 500 commercial business likewise affected. The deadly tornado cut a 6-mile path through town.
Stories in the press outlining the suffering of the many victims, as well as the love and generosity of those who have stepped in to help, abound. Like other disasters that have occurred near and far, Catholic Social Services is here to help. We are in the process of collecting food, water and monetary donations for those affected and will continue to do so. We will soon be trucking the material items down to the affected area to help relieve some of the pain and suffering of our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord. This is what it means to be a fellow member of the mystical body of Christ. When other people suffer, we suffer too. When other people rejoice, we rejoice too. Even though we in Nebraska are miles away, since we are fellow members of the mystical body of Christ, we too feel the pain. "If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together" (1 Cor 12:26).
Because of the generosity of the people of southern Nebraska, Catholic Social Services, your arms and legs of charity, were able to respond to horrific hurricane Katrina with cash donations and a semi-trailer loaded with more than 23,000 pounds of material goods (including food and water) to victims and families displaced in shelters. Our trip down south is one I will never forget.
The same was true for the central Nebraska ice storm and even later the ice storm in southeastern Nebraska of unhappy memory. Both times we were able to respond with generators and gas vouchers along with money for needy families who could not work because businesses were closed due to the power outage. Then there was the earthquake in Haiti and the Tsunami in Japan. Over and over again, the loving people of the Diocese of Lincoln have responded lovingly and prayerfully.
Please remember to keep the living and deceased victims of this latest tragedy as well as the other ones mentioned in this column in your prayers. Let me take this opportunity to thank you once again for your generous and loving responses. Please know that we at Catholic Social Services will keep you, your families and intentions in our prayers.
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