Denver parishioners witness ongoing impact of Hurricane Katrina

Published: 2006-01-03

DENVER (CNS) -- When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast and levees collapsed in New Orleans, flooding homes and businesses, people all over the country wanted to know how they could help. Parishioners at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Northglenn, just outside Denver, were no exception. Their first hurdle, according to Dave Pipp, director of evangelization for the Denver Archdiocese, wasn't what to do, but getting in contact with those in the affected area. He said parishioners searched on the Internet and found an Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in one of the most heavily damaged sections of New Orleans. "That's where we began," Pipp told the Denver Catholic Register, archdiocesan newspaper. So Immaculate Heart of Mary in Northglenn "adopted" the similarly named parish in New Orleans with the intent of getting its sister parish back on its feet. In December, a group of Northglenn parishioners, led by pastor Father Gregory Ames, traveled to New Orleans to present a $50,000 check. Long-range plans call for a busload of volunteers to go to New Orleans in 2006 to help with the cleanup and to continue to collect donations for the church.

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