Media Release
Diocese of Fredericton
30 December 2004
From the Office of the Bishop of Fredericton
RE Southern Asian Disaster
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today is Thursday December 30, 2004. On a personal note, this past week has been a week filled with joy, peace and plenty. I have been blessed with the company of family and friends as we shared in the traditional celebration of Christmas. I’m sure that many around the world would share my reflections on the many blessings of this season. Quickly however, our thoughts and prayers were redirected as the news of the Asian natural disaster unfolded. Tens of thousands of God’s people, in a matter of minutes, were killed - the surviving residents of the islands and costal communities will be changed forever. The reporting of these events cause us to feel helpless and we wonder how we might make a difference. The words of the Primate of Southeast Asia, the Most Rev’d Datuk Yong Ping Chung, may help us:
“I ... request
that special prayers be offered during the Services on
New Year's Eve 2004 and New Year's Day 2005. Please remember all
the people who have been afflicted by this disaster. Please pray
that effort for rescue, relief and re-habitation can be properly
coordinated and effectively carried out so that all people, lands and
nations afflicted may be speedily recovered and healed.”
He continues ...
“On behalf of our
Diocese and our Province, I want to thank all
Christian brothers and sisters and friends from around the world for
praying for us and have phoned or sent us messages of concern either by
email, fax etc. It is times like this we know we are not alone. We are
so thankful to all of you. Please continue to pray for our areas.
As a Province [Southeast Asia] we would like to offer practical help to
as many affected people and areas caused by this dreadful disaster as
possible.”
A 30 December response by Andrew our Primate can be found at http://www.anglican.ca/
Our “practical help”can make a difference through PWRDF http://www.pwrdf.org/
Our prayers and financial support should be offered up in a spirit of generosity. Please encourage the offering of prayer in worship gatherings over this weekend and share as much information as possible about opportunities for response.
+ Claude
Bishop of Fredericton