Hurricane Melissa: Dominican Friars in Jamaica call for your help

Fr Bede Mullens OP

Source: Dominican Development Office

The island of Jamaica was hit this week by one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded, with sustained wind speeds of 185mph. This has left many people needing urgent assistance, and the Dominican friars there are involved in the relief efforts.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has already declared the nation a "disaster area", and the UK and other countries have promised aid. The morning after the devastating winds hit the island, 75% of the country was left without electricity, including, at the time of writing, the Dominican Friars' community.

Communications with Jamaica have been difficult, but we have managed to obtain an initial report from Fr Bede Mullens OP, the recently ordained English Dominican friar who is based there

Fr Bede (pictured, right, in file photograph) reports that, thank God, their area suffered only minor damage: their churches and house will only require a clean-up and minor repairs.

However, there is grave concern regarding many of the wider community of people in Jamaica, in particular around the provision of food.

The farming areas of the island have been most heavily devastated. The poorer parishioners served by the Dominicans are having to make urgent repairs to their homes and replace damaged goods, so they will be struggling to have enough money to feed themselves. These people often live in little more than shacks, so are especially vulnerable to hurricanes.

Fr Clifton Harris OP, the superior of the Dominican community, has been appointed to an Archdiocesan team coordinating the relief effort for the west of the island. He is also organising communal meals at the parish church in August Town.

The friars in the Caribbean rely heavily on donations from the UK to sustain their pastoral work, including the provision of food to the poor.
Fr Clifton therefore asks all of you, please, to support generously their mission at this time. See below for a link to donate.

This disaster has happened at a time when we have been preparing our annual appeal for the support of the work of the friars in Jamaica and Grenada, who are members of our Province. During the first half of November, we were planning to give our supporters some really positive news from the friars in the Caribbean, including the wonderful news of local vocations: men who are joining the Dominican friars!

These appeals will go ahead, and in the coming days we will circulate literature and videos showing how your donations are really making a difference. Now, however, we must ask our supporters to be extra-generous so that Fr Clifton and the other friars can ensure that food is provided for the poor who have been hardest hit by this disaster.

To add your donation, please go to www.english.op.org/missions where you can make a single donation, or set up ongoing monthly donations.