Lismore Bishop Greg Homeming has launched an appeal for victims of the New South Wales mid-north coast floods – the third since he was installed as the bishop in 2017. Source: The Catholic Weekly.
At least five people have died, 10,000 homes and businesses have been seriously damaged, and hundreds of properties declared uninhabitable after a “one-in-500-year” flood disaster last week.
Towns have been devastated and the Manning River at Taree, the epicentre of the floods, rose to six metres above normal levels, surpassing a record set in 1929.
“I would like to find a way to, where possible, help in re-establishing their houses, in providing some support so that they can go back home, in providing help for farmers to feed livestock, in providing the possibility of the people of this diocese to get back on their feet, to struggle through this flood and to see another day,” Bishop Homeming said in a video appeal.
The parishes of Coffs Harbour, Sawtell, Bellingen, Nambucca Valley, Macleay Valley (Kempsey), Port Macquarie, Camden Haven (Laurieton/Kendall) and Wauchope have all been badly affected.
The same towns were also battered by floods in 2021 and 2022.
“As many of you know, this is not our first flood appeal, because the diocese has had a number of floods, but as you also know, every cent given to the flood appeals has been accounted for and used to help those in need,” Bishop Homeming said.
Further south, several areas in the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese have been declared natural disaster zones.
Bishop Michael Kennedy has also expressed his concern and thanked people for their “kindness, generosity, and solidarity” in reaching out to those in need.
Donations: Lismore Diocese.
FULL STORY
Lismore diocese launches flood appeal (By Michael Cook, The Catholic Weekly)
Natural Disaster – Letter from Bishop Michael Kennedy (Maitland-Newcastle Diocese)
