Bishop William A. Wack Shares Message of Hope

PENSACOLA (Oct. 5, 2017) – As Tropical Storm Nate is forecasted to strengthen into a hurricane by the weekend, Bishop William A. Wack CSC shared a message of comfort with residents of the Florida Panhandle and those in Louisiana who may be in the path of the storm.
“As we face the prospect of yet another potential hurricane to strike our area, let us put our trust in God while we continually seek to assist our neighbors around us,” said Bishop Wack.
The diocese, which stretches more than 200 miles from Pensacola to Tallahassee and includes 47 parishes and 12 schools, has rallied to assist victims of recent hurricanes. Friday, October 6, the Pastoral Center of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee will load trucks with supplies and goods donated by the Bishop’s office and other pastoral ministries to help Puerto Rico following the devastation of Hurricane Maria. The trucks will travel to Miami and be loaded onto a cargo plane which will be flown to Aguadilla. Mayors and churches of local communities in Aguadilla, on the far western coast of the island, have reportedly been slow to receive FEMA or government aid, and are most in need of assistance.
 Following Hurricane Harvey, supplies and donations poured into four school distribution points in the diocese, and delivered to Texas. Recently, an emergency collection was taken by parishes within the diocese to support the humanitarian recovery efforts of Catholic Charities USA, which works with a variety of agencies nationwide to help people through both the immediate and the long-term process of recovery and restoration after a natural disaster.
In the wake of a new hurricane threat, Bishop Wack pointed to Psalm 46, which addresses the formidable power of natural, as well as human-caused, disasters.
 “The entire Psalm speaks to our modern situation,” said Bishop Wack. “The psalm begins with the reassurance that, ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea.”
“We’ve seen amazing acts of heroism with Hurricane Harvey,” he added. “We have the same courage and resolve here in Florida.”