Parishioners wow pastor, village with generosity

After a tsunami struck southeast Asia in December 2004, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard announced a diocesan-wide collection to assist victims. But parishioners of St. Pius X parish in Loudonville were a step ahead of him.

As soon as he heard about the devastating effects of the tsunami, Rev. Michael Farano, pastor of St. Pius, called a friend who had served as president of the Pontifical Mission Societies. The parishioners wanted to help with a concrete project, and Father Farano was looking for ideas.

Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith knew just the place: Kalamulla, a small fishing village in Sri Lanka that had been leveled by the tidal wave, its villagers left with not even the materials to rebuild.

'Flabbergasted'

Father Farano estimated that his parishioners would donate a few thousand dollars to the residents of Kalamulla through a special collection at weekend liturgies. Instead, they overwhelmed him with their generosity, raising $43,000.

"I was flabbergasted," the pastor told The Evangelist. "I never expected this on just a second collection. People would send notes that said, 'We see this [news] on TV, and we want to be part of the solution.'"

The money was wired directly to Sri Lanka's equivalent of Catholic Charities to be sure it reached Kalamulla. In turn, residents sent a simple packet of information on how they planned to use the donations: costs for buying land and materials, hand-drawn floor plans for new homes, and so on.

"We felt good about it. It helped the people, and the money was in good hands because it was going through Catholic Charities," Father Farano remarked.

Rebuilding

By combining the funds from the Albany Diocese with a $100,000 donation from the Diocese of Austin, Texas, Kalamulla villagers were able to build 100 small houses for fishing families, plus a convent and parish center for the town's Catholic priest and Franciscan sisters.

In February, Msgr. John Kozar visited Kalamulla as part of his ministry as national director for the Pontifical Mission Societies in the U.S.

After meeting the villagers, he told Father Farano, "I wish you could have seen their faces, how grateful they were" for the donations from American Catholics that rebuilt their homes.

New name

Actually, the funds didn't rebuild "Kalamulla." Residents decided to give the town a new name to honor their benefactors: "American Friendship Village."

Msgr. Kozar took photos of a sign bearing the name to bring back to parishioners in the Albany and Austin dioceses. Residents of the newly named village also sent St. Pius a plaque with their thanks.

"We have so many second collections for so many reasons, but this helps us realize" the difference they make, said Father Farano. "When we saw the houses, and especially that sign, it was touching."

(Including donations to the diocesan-wide collection, Catholics in the Albany Diocese gave well over $1.2 million to those affected by the 2004 tsunami. Father Farano is also diocesan director of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, which works with the Church in mission territories. He also serves as vicar general and moderator of the Curia for the Diocese.)

(10/19/06) [[In-content Ad]]