Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, will be the celebrant and homilist for a Mass to commemorate those who lost their lives and are still suffering as a result of the earthquake that struck Haiti last January.

12:05 p.m.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
18th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA

The Cardinal has invited all priests of the Archdiocese to concelebrate the Mass with him and all of the faithful to attend. Additionally, he has asked that all parishes include a special petition in the prayer of the faithful on the first anniversary of this tragedy to express spiritual union with the Haitian community.

In his recent weekly column in The Catholic Standard and Times Cardinal Rigali stated, "As we mark the one year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake, we are reminded that not all anniversaries are occasions of joy. We mark this anniversary not in order to rejoice but to reflect on the great accomplishments already made, especially through the generosity of American Catholics, and the great amount of work yet to be done."

One year later the impoverished country, which is 80% Catholic, is still feeling the effects of the earthquake and struggling to rebound. Through the generosity of its faithful, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has contributed approximately $2 million to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) toward the rebuilding of Haiti. Nearly $1.5 million more has been contributed directly to CRS by individuals, schools, parishes, and institutions within the Archdiocese. CRS (www.crs.org) is the official overseas relief agency of the Catholic Bishops of the United States. It operates on five continents and in over 90 countries, including Haiti.

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Editor's Note: Efforts within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, which ministers to 2,300 Haitian Catholics within its borders, are part of a nationwide initiative on the part of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to support the Haitian people. More information and resources can be found at www.usccb.org/haiti.

An audio and video mult-box feed will be provided in the parking lot of the Cathedral. Please enter on 17th Street, between Race and Vine Streets. Crews will need a bnc connector and a recording deck or a live truck. Television cameras will not be permitted in the Cathedral. Reporters and still photographers will be permitted in the Cathedral.

Contact
Donna M. Farrell
Director
215-587-3747