I wanted to take this opportunity to provide you with an update regarding the Order’s response to the devastating earthquake that ravaged Haiti last week. Already, the Supreme Council has sent an initial contribution of $50,000 to Catholic Relief Services to assist with immediate humanitarian needs and we have also established a fund for Haiti Earthquake Relief.

From the U.S. Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina, to the Philippine Islands following Typhoon Ketsana, our Order has stepped up time and time again to help our brothers and sisters in their time of great need. Already, many state and local councils, as well as individual Knights, have contributed a total of nearly $100,000 to our Haiti Earthquake Relief effort, and I am very grateful to all those who have already responded to the challenge and made a contribution.

If you have not yet done so, I encourage you to arrange for your state council to make a contribution to Knights of Columbus Charities Inc. for Haiti Earthquake Relief. Even if funds are limited, I hope that every jurisdiction will participate. I also ask that you utilize state council e-mail lists to encourage local councils and individual Knights to make contributions through the Order’s website, which also gives instructions on how to donate by check.

If any councils or Knights in your jurisdiction are involved in special projects to assist the people in Haiti, I would ask that you please let me know about them and provide pictures of these “Knights in Action,” so that they can possibly be featured on the Order’s website and in Columbia.

Finally, I ask you to join me in praying that Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the patroness of Haiti, will intercede once again for the Haitian people as they struggle to recover from this disaster of epic proportion.

From the Texas Knights: (Mike McLaughlin, Executive Secretary)

Brother Knights;

     I’m sure by now we have all heard of the devastating earthquake that has happened in Haiti.  We have had many calls regarding what kind of relief efforts that our Texas Brother Knights can be involved in.  For now please send all money donations to the State Office through the State Council Charities Disaster Relief Fund.  Make the check payable to Texas State Charities and then put Haiti Disaster Relief in the memo section.  We will find out about other possible donations from Supreme shortly. 

I ask you to relay this message to all your District Deputies and councils within your diocese.

Thanks in advance for your concerns and your thoughtful donations.  

Memos:
Supreme Knight - Haiti Relief
Texas Knights - Haiti Relief