By Gretchen R. Crowe
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 3/3/05)

Through the largest diocesan-wide second collection in the history of the Diocese of Arlington, parishioners scraped together an overwhelming $1.84 million donation for Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and its work in tsunami-worn southeast Asia.

Jeffrey Griffith, CRS communications associate, said the total was closer to $4 million when individual and school fund-raising proceeds are added in. According to CRS, this financial contribution, which was collected in January and tallied last week, ranked Arlington as one of the top three dioceses — along with the Archdioceses of New York and Philadelphia — that contributed to tsunami relief in the United States.

In the last two months, as the world shifted its focus from tsunami-related body counts and relief efforts back to the war in Iraq, the health of Pope John Paul II and the impending release of Martha Stewart from prison, CRS continued to send money to tsunami-affected areas. Donations have been so hefty that CRS more than tripled its original fund-raising goal, elevating the number from $25 million to $80 million.

According to CRS’ Web site, the money "will support a variety of programs that reestablish livelihoods, rebuild roads, bridges, public facilities and homes, and help communities become self sufficient."

Six diocesan parishes collected over $50,000 each, with the top five totaling over $312,000.

In the highest amount collected by from any single parish, more than 12,000 parishioners at St. Mary of Sorrows Parish in Fairfax contributed $87,833 to the collection. Father Donald Greenhalgh, pastor, called it "a spectacular response" and a "real tribute to the generous hearts in our parish.

"There are moments as a priest when it is obvious that the Gospel is being lived, and this is certainly one of them for me," he said. "I'm proud that so many folks here, young and old, opened their hearts to help people they will never meet. It is exactly what God asks of His followers."

St. Mark Parish in Vienna claimed second-place honors with its $63,256 total. Phyllis Provenzano, pastoral assistant, coordinates the parish outreach ministries. She said the parish and school came together to respond.

"It just came from the hearts of the people," she said. "Providing an avenue through the Church was an excellent way to do it."

Provenzano added that the children at St. Mark School also wanted to contribute to the relief. Each grade collected spare change, then lined up the coins in a friendly competition to see which chain was the longest.

"They really were very creative with it," Provenzano said.

More than 16,000 parishioners at All Saints Parish in Manassas donated $59,158 to the cause. Father Bob Cilinski, pastor, said their giving more than doubled any previous second collection at the parish.

"I think the tsunami relief shows that when our hearts are moved, and we believe in something important, we respond with great love," he said. "Through that collection and our prayers, we stood in solidarity with the suffering, the grieving and the poor."

Father Cilinski also noted that the amount received in the regular weekly offertory did not go down.

"People didn’t just shift their money," he said. "They maintained their regular offering and in addition gave to the tsunami relief."

Father Cilinski also referred to the aid in terms of Pope John Paul’s latest encyclical "The Church and the Eucharist."

"[The Holy Father] reminds us of what St. Paul said: that for the Eucharist to be truly authentic, we must remember the poor and needy," Father Cilinski said. "I think the fact that this collection took place during Mass made our Eucharist that day really authentic."

Father John Kelly and his flock of 8,000 at St. Leo the Great Parish in Fairfax raised over $54,000. Despite the generous response, Father Kelly said the parish did "nothing special" to promote the second collection for the relief.

"We published it in the bulletin and mentioned it in the prayer of the faithful and the homily," he said, "but more than anything, it’s that St. Leo’s people are always generous, whether it’s to the parish, the diocese or causes like this. I’m not surprised."

The generosity even included those outside the parish, Father Kelly said. While waiting in line at the bank to deposit the checks from the parish, a woman came in and asked if the bank was collecting money for the tsunami relief. The teller, a parishioner from St. Leo pointed to Father Kelly and said, "We’re not — but he is." The woman gave Father Kelly a donation right there in line.

Parishioners at Holy Spirit Parish in Annandale sent the diocese a check for $53,260 toward the tsunami relief.

"They’re just very generous people," said Father Frank Ready, pastor. "They recognized the need and they responded."

This simple explanation delves into the very heart of Catholic social teaching: to uphold the life and dignity of every human person and to bond together in solidarity to aid the poor and vulnerable.

Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde called the financial contributions "part and parcel of the Gospel message to aid those in need.

"In light of that catastrophic disaster, how could we do otherwise?" Bishop Loverde said. "Since my arrival here nearly six years ago, I have been profoundly moved by the tremendous generosity of our people to those who are experiencing unbelievable disasters and suffering."

Individual donations and diocesan schools, like St. Mark, also came through for tsunami-relief.

During Catholic Schools Week in late January, students at St. James School in Falls Church decorated the school with 25-cent paper links. Sister Teresa Ballisty, principal, said the chains showed solidarity with the children in southeast Asia. Now that Lent has begun, the students are "buying" and decorating crosses to be displayed throughout the school to remind the students of their support for the tsunami victims.

Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria asked the students to donate at least $2,500, with the faculty pledging to match whatever total they came up with.

St. Veronica School in Chantilly had a tsunami-relief bake-off, while Corpus Christi School took up a special collection in January at their school Mass. On Ash Wednesday, Corpus Christi also began selling purple paper crosses for $1 each, which were hung throughout the school. The school will also continue to remember the tsunami during every "All Tag Day," where students pay to dress out of uniform, with the proceeds going straight to CRS.

Principal Maria Kelly from Nativity School in Burke said that students created a prayer chain, serving as a reminder that not all aid is financial.

"We are going to have one link per child and will be writing to Catholic Schools across the country asking them to participate," Kelly said. "We will be asking each school to respond to us with their intent to participate and how many links they are making. It is our way of ensuring that each individual that lost their life is prayed for and remembered."