Parishes in the Diocese of Trenton joined their counterparts throughout the country in holding a special collection Nov. 16 and 17 to support relief efforts for the victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan, which devastated vast regions of the Philippines Nov. 8.

Nearly $76,000 has already been received, just days after the collection was taken.

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., called for the collection in a Nov. 11 letter sent to all priests in the Diocese. He said that the collection would be “to provide financial aid to the people of the Philippines “in this time of devastation.” All collected funds will be sent to the Diocese’s Chancery offices, and will be forwarded on in their entirety to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Bishop O’Connell stated. Father Peter James R.

Alindogan, liaison to the Filipino community in the Diocese of Trenton and pastor of St.

Charles Borromeo Parish, Cinnaminson, was named by Bishop O’Connell as the coordinator of the effort on behalf of the typhoon victims.

In addition to the parish collection, Bishop O’Connell directed that an online donation form was to be posted for anyone who wished to give to the effort. The donation form went live on www.dioceseoftrenton.org Nov.

12 and will remain on the website until assistance is no longer needed.

Writing from the floor of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Fall Assembly in Baltimore, Bishop O’Connell asked his brother priests “to invite our good people in the Diocese of Trenton to unite with the sufferings” of the Filipino people. He said, “Here in central New Jersey, our memories of such natural destruction are all too fresh and all too painful. For that reason, we need to reach out and embrace our Filipino sisters and brothers with our generosity and love. The immediacy of their need underscores our need to respond immediately and not wait.”

A few days following the collection, the Diocese’s finance department reported that donations had already been submitted by 15 parishes amounting to nearly $73,000. An additional $2,125 was donated through the website and $875 was sent directly to the Chancery. According to Anthony Mingarino, the Diocese’s chancellor and chief administrative officer, “We will wire the funds to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines on a weekly basis.”

Acknowledging the anguish that the typhoon has brought to local people who hail from the Philippines, Bishop O’Connell told his priests, “In your name, I embrace our brother priests, seminarians and religious from the Philippines working in the Diocese of Trenton and offer them and all our Filipino sisters and brothers in the four counties our heartfelt prayers for their families and loved ones back home.”

He underscored the importance of the Catholic response, writing, “Thank you for your willingness to ‘witness’ Christ’s love to those in need, the essence of evangelization. Please express my gratitude to our parishioners.”

Bishop O'Connell asks his flock to 'unite with the sufferings' of typhoon victims in Philippines. Click here to read.
Pope leads world in prayer for typhoon victims. Click here.
Church workers lose contact with central Philippines as typhoon hits. Click here.
Desperate Filipinos add to challenging logistics of delivering adi. Click here.