Bishop says storm's effects range from 'catastrophic to devastated'

Published: 2005-09-09

BILOXI, Miss. (CNS) -- "Our building is still standing," Bishop Thomas J. Rodi of Biloxi said Sept. 6 as he greeted a Catholic Charities disaster response team from Florida and the neighboring Diocese of Jackson, Miss. "We have 80 miles of coastline that ranges from catastrophic to devastated," said Bishop Rodi. More than 20 percent of churches and one third of schools in the Biloxi Diocese were destroyed or severely damaged in the hurricane. We have areas that are devastated." Portions of the roof of the Diocesan Pastoral Center building, which houses administrative offices, were covered with blue tarps and inside some offices' tiles were missing from the ceiling where water had leaked in after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast Aug. 29. Outside the building a huge silver tube pumped air from a disaster cleanup truck into rooms to dry wet carpet and later a team of workers pulled wet sheetrock from the walls. Telephone service was restored in the building the morning of Sept. 6.

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