India.
Bangalore, January 23, 2010
To the Major Superiors of the Cogregation
Dear brothers,
I send you kind regards from India where I am at this moment. From here I have tried to follow up closely the news related to the Haiti earthquake and, above all, to the situation of our brothers who are there and of the families of the Haitian Claretians. As far as I have been able to, I have kept the line frequently open with Fr. Héctor Cuadrado and with Fr. Anistus Onuoha. You will have been able to read the letter I wrote to the Delegation of Antillas, expressing to our brothers the communion of everyone in this painful moment.
I am happy with the response you are giving and I thank you with all my heart From Rome I have received information that aids are arriving from different parts of the Congregation. I thank you sincerely.
I know there are many associations that are organizing collections of funds and channeling aids to Haiti. Naturally, Caritas was one of the first entities to mobilize in the face of the tragedy’s size. I would like to make a call to everyone, to continue expressing this solidarity. Let us not forget the actions that the Delegation of Antillas is developing, which need the wholehearted support of everyone. We have a special obligation with the Claretian communities of Haiti, and that of Jimaní, in the Dominican Republic, who are taking so many initiatives on behalf of the earthquake’s victims. Some of our Haitian brothers have lost relatives. On the other hand, the majority of their families have suffered considerable material damages. Our houses and activities too have been tremendously affected by the earthquake. In our pastoral centres there are many persons who are lamenting the loss of relatives and friends and will have to face the difficult task of reconstructing their houses and, as a last resort, their life. They are our Claretian brothers and they are the people whose pastoral care has been entrusted to us, and whom we do not want to abandon in this moment. They deserve a special attention from us.
Through several means, sufficient information has been given of the channels to make these donations arrive to their destination. PROMICLA, of the Delegation of Antillas, is our reference point. They themselves have told us what to do. The FUNDUS is rendering a great service in this sense.
I repeat the expression of solidarity with our brothers of Haiti and of the Delegation of Antillas, and I invite you not to cease helping them in this occasion. Thanks to everyone.
Brotherly,
Josep M. Abella, cmf.
General Superior
