This is part of an article taken from the Episcopal News Service at: ens.episcopal.me
[Episcopal Diocese of Texas] As the Diocese of Texas continues an energetic response to relief efforts after Hurricane Harvey’s punishing rains, churches and volunteers from across the country have offered help. Within the diocese, congregations have sent teams to muck out homes and church buildings, helping both neighbors and strangers. The Ven. Russ Oechsel, diocesan disaster coordinator, met Crystal while he served as chaplain at one of Houston’s emergency shelters. A day later, Crystal called him desperate for help, and Oechsel met her in a parking lot to give her a couple of gift cards to meet her immediate needs. Her gratitude mixed with tears. Thom’s sister called the Diocesan Center because someone at a Houston Christian radio station told her she could find help for her elderly brother there. Episcopalians moved Thom’s flooded personal belongings to the curb so the landlord could begin cleaning out the apartment. The relief in Thom’s voice was palpable. Yet, there are many areas of Houston that have yet to see work crews or to find hope in the silt on their buckling floors or in the mold growing up their walls. And, in many towns to the south and east of the city, flood waters are still draining. The Rev. Stacy Stringer offered space at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Dickinson to the local United Way agency when its food pantry and offices were submerged in Harvey’s rains. The agency was up and running within a few days after the storm, with church members helping to staff the much-needed food pantry. Two dozen U.S. Coast Guard members from out of state found a place to sleep for the night in the parish hall before they were released to go home, and Stringer even found them rides to the airport. There isn’t a rental car to be found for hundreds of miles. Dickinson’s Lutherans will worship alongside Episcopalians at Holy Trinity until their church can be repaired. In southwest Houston, Iglesia Episcopal San Mateo flooded, as did the homes of many of its members. No one can enter the sanctuary; it’s just too toxic and will require professional remediation to finish what faithful parishioners began to clear out. San Mateo’s rector, the Rev. Janssen J. Gutierrez, his wife Mariely and their two teenagers lost everything in their ground floor apartment to floodwaters. Today they are living on the second floor of their complex, ministering to parishioners and contending with insurance adjusters to repair the church building and offices. Gutierrez, who has been rector of San Mateo for little more than a year, said that many of his members are undocumented and, therefore, have no access to state or federal relief. Christ Church Cathedral, Houston, covered the cost of a tent under which the San Mateo congregation will worship for the next month or so, and Christ Church Cranbrook in Michigan has offered to strike up a long-term relationship. Emmanuel Episcopal Church in far western Houston was under water for more than a week, so nearby Holy Spirit Episcopal Church offered office and worship space to the staff and congregation. The two congregations shared a potluck supper during the weekend. Mission teams from St. Alban’s, Waco, traveled four hours southeast to help clean out Holy Comforter in Spring to help clean out houses. "We are supporting our clergy and our churches so that they are able to do local ministry," said Bishop Andy Doyle. This isn’t his first rodeo. Hurricane Ike hit the Diocese of Texas in the months between Doyle’s election and consecration. He sees a robust rebuilding response over the next year, tapering through the following two to three years as needs are met. "This is our mission field," said Karen Wynn, indicating the neighborhoods around Good Shepherd, Friendswood. With debris piled high in front of homes on streets radiating away from Good Shepherd, Wynn, the rector’s wife, was upbeat about helping the community. While the offices and Sunday school rooms were flooded, the parish hall and church remained high and dry. Volunteers already had a whiteboard up and had triaged almost 20 parishioners’ homes to clean out and had five teams working within a day of the storm. Comments are closed.
|
Archives
January 2024
Categories |