The eyes, hearts, and prayers of the Salesians and Salesian Sisters have been aimed at Florida for the better part of the last week as we watched the progress of Hurricane Irma.
Our sisters in Miami--whose school (Immaculata-LaSalle HS) sits right on the shore of Biscayne Bay--evacuated some while ago to the FMA community in Naples (St. John Neumann HS), unwittingly putting themselves right into the now evident path of the hurricane.
Sr. Joanne Holloman, provincial, sent out a message late this a.m. that said, in part:
"With the change of direction of Irma both communities will take shelter in the school buildings which are sturdier with less windows surrounding them. They have enough food, water, batteries and more importantly they have each other and the support of our love and prayer. They will also have the Blessed Sacrament with them.
"I am requesting that if it is possible we have a Holy Hour sometime today for the safety of all those in the path of the Hurricane. Let our prayers be accompanied with personal sacrifice and mortification for this special intention. (The hurricane should be making landfall tonight)
"Let us pray that our Lord who is our shelter and strength and Mary our helper and protectress, be with all those in need of their loving embrace."
Meanwhile the FMAs at Villa Madonna in Tampa also have established themselves on the 2d floor of the Boys & Girls Club with all they expect to need for several days.
Three of our SDB confreres from St. Philip Benizi Church in Belle Glade evacuated to Tampa. The 4th confrere--director and pastor Fr. Matt DeGance--decided to collect his parents from Fort Lauderdale and bring them to Belle Glade, where they're staying with friends in a home that they trust will be secure. With Belle Glade lying right at the foot of Lake Okeechobee, some of us who know Florida are uneasy about that decision. (But Fr. Matt is Fort Lauderdale native, so he also is familiar with the territory.)
At Mary Help of Christians Center in Tampa, we have 20 confreres, plus the 3 from Belle Glade, and they'll secure themselves with ample supplies in the sturdy old main building (which director Fr. Steve Ryan describes as a "fortress--walls are 28 inch concrete") and St. Philip the Apostle Residence, which was built up to anti-hurricane code, but which can easily be evacuated in favor of the main building if need be. Two gas-powered generators are on stand-by. Parishioners and close friends of the community may also shelter in the main building's large dormitory.
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| Photo by Lili DeGrasse |
We pray for the safety of all concerned up and down the state, and for a minimal loss of property.
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