Two U.S. Catholic leaders have called on Catholics to pray for victims of Hurricanes Michael and Florence, along with responders to these storms, and to donate to recovery efforts in the impacted areas.

The 15-year-old program has saved millions of lives around the world and prevented millions of new infections.

In the wake of Hurricane Michael, which left 13 known dead and more than 1 million without power two days after it ravaged the Florida panhandle, the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, whose territory was smack in the path of the Category 4 storm, is moving from prayer to action.

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo urged bishops make this special appeal and that "we each take up the collection as soon as possible so that those most in need can receive assistance quickly."

Catholic aid agencies were among those working to assess the needs and get relief to the island of Sulawesi after an earthquake and tsunami left more than 1,200 people dead.

Twenty-seven churches or parish facilities in the Raleigh Diocese have been damaged.

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark told the people of his archdiocese Sept. 21 that Pope Francis has granted his request that he stay at home to remain with them during this "time of crisis" in the U.S. church.

"I am hopeful too that it will bring some solace and healing to the victims and their families," said Donald Schmid in a Sept. 19 statement, a day after the diocese released the list.

The Carolinas were hard hit with record rainfall and flooding rivers from tropical storm Florence since it made landfall Sept. 14. And although the storm was downgraded from a hurricane to a Category 1 tropical storm, it still caused extensive water damage.

The Diocese of Little Rock released a list of clergy who had assignments in Arkansas and against whom credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor were filed.