Sacred Heart Church in Monroe creates auxiliary to assist Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts

MONROE-Parishioners of Sacred Heart Church in Monroe have recreated a Disaster Relief Auxiliary that has been meeting weekly since Sept. 5 to coordinate donations with a church in Houston, Texas. According to information from the pastor, Rev. Carl Johnson, the auxiliary has been sending donations each week for specific needs as indicated by the Corpus Christi R.C. Church in Houston. Many cartons of new socks, new undergarments and new items for babies already have been shipped, received and distributed to those in need. Every Thursday morning, volunteers at Sacred Heart Church pack donations that have been made by parishioners during the week, and ship them directly to the Corpus Christi parish. The auxiliary meets again on Sunday at 10 a.m. to review the previous week's activities and, through contact with the Corpus Christi church, determine what the next week's collection will be. In this way, Sacred Heart is able to remain focused on the specific local needs of the refugees and fill those needs as soon as possible, Johnson said. Fund-raising efforts are being coordinated with the St. Vincent de Paul Society of the parish to specifically cover shipping costs and to purchase additional items being collected. The relief efforts of the Sacred Heart Disaster Relief Auxiliary are expected to be on-going with a series of appropriate activities and projects being planned over the coming year. Brand new socks for men and women boys and girls can be dropped off at the Church vestibule. Additional information can be obtained by contacting Sacred Heart Church at 845-782-8510.