Cardinal William H. Keeler, Archbishop of Baltimore, has asked each parish in the Archdiocese to take up a collection to help with the immediate relief and long-term rehabilitation in the areas hardest hit by the tsunami in South Asia and eastern Africa.
Funds generated by the collection will be turned over to Catholic Relief Services, which has responded quickly to the emergency by providing food, shelter, and medical support to thousands left homeless by the tsunami.
The Cardinal also urged area Catholics to pray for the people of Asia and Africa, where whole towns have been destroyed and families are missing loved ones.
Similar collections are expected to take place in dioceses throughout the United States.