Church sets nat’l day of prayer for ‘Odette’ victims

The Catholic Church has set Dec. 25 and Dec. 26 as national days of prayer for families affected by typhoon “Odette”.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) called on dioceses to dedicate the said days to pray for the recovery of communities affected by the typhoon.

Dioceses are also encouraged to hold a second collection in all Masses on Christmas Day and the following day for the typhoon victims.

Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan, CBCP president, said the “Alay Kapwa Solidarity Fund” will be used for the Church’s collective emergency response.

“We encourage everyone to remit all collections to Caritas Philippines that will then plan and implement our overall response,” David said.

The church’s social action arm, he added, will also provide the dioceses reports and updates on a regular basis.

“May this season of giving offer us more opportunities to do consistent acts of Alay Kapwa (offering of oneself),” he also said.

The national Caritas said that at least 10 dioceses in Visayas and Mindanao regions were heavily affected by the typhoon.

Odette intensified into a super typhoon before making a landfall in the island of Siargao in Surigao del Norte on Thursday, forcing mass evacuation in low-lying areas.

Packing a maximum sustained winds of up to 195 km, the 15th typhoon to enter the Philippine territory this year destroyed houses displacing thousands of families.

The second-most powerful typhoon to hit the country this year also cut power and communication lines in the affected areas. (CBCP News)

A version of this article was first published on CBCP News.