Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options

Despite the post-tsunami chaos, parishioners of Kita Sendai Catholic Church have been busy delivering food aid to victims of the deadly quake and tsunami that struck on March 11. Hiroko Hag, a parishioner, said that because of persistent distribution difficulties in the city “people must stand in line for three hours to buy a slice of bread.” Sendai Catholics are assisting not only the homeless but also the elderly and nursing mothers, for whom the long wait would be too arduous. Violent aftershocks and the continued disruption of gas supplies forced parishioners to cook meals with propane. Food was supplied by a variety of organizations, including Caritas Japan, food banks and ecumenical groups. Raymond Latour, O.P., pastor of Kita Sendai and Haramachi Church in Minamisoma, said those who remained in Minamisoma were forced to stay indoors because of their proximity to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and had only ramen noodles to eat. Japanese police reported on March 24 that the official death toll surpassed 9,800 with 17,500 still missing.

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, and former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, are seen in a combination of file photographs taken in Chandler, Ariz., Oct. 10, 2024 and Evans, Ga., Oct. 4, 2024. (OSV News photo/Evelyn Hockstein and Octavio Jones, Reuters)
While we are going to continue to advocate for the dignity of the unborn, let’s admit Kamala Harris has Catholic cred on other important issues.
Jeannie GaffiganNovember 01, 2024
Mats Steen was known as Ibelin in the video game World of Warcraft (World of Warcraft and Blizzard Entertainment/Netflix)
“The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” presents the internet as a place where true connection is possible and limitations can be transcended.
John DoughertyNovember 01, 2024
A Homily for the Solemnity of All Souls, by Father Terrance Klein
Terrance KleinNovember 01, 2024
Cardinal McElroy shared his reflections on the synod with America Vatican correspondent Gerard O'Connell in this wide-ranging interview at the North American College in Rome.
Gerard O’ConnellNovember 01, 2024