Dear friends, Like many of you, I have been greatly concerned by news reports documenting the total devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Maria. In a special way, I know I share the concerns of so many of our Latino brothers and sisters who have family and loved ones on the island of Puerto Rico which was especially hard hit. With this in mind, and in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico, I am asking parishes to take up a special collection in the coming weeks; the funds collected will be earmarked for Hurricane Maria relief efforts. I invite you to prayerfully consider making a donation. Please make checks payable to your parish, with Hurricane Maria in the memo. If you would rather make a donation directly using your credit or debit card, we’ve posted direct link to Catholic Charities USA on our diocesan website, www.diospringfield.org. Finally, let us pray for all whose lives have been impacted by this year’s unusual number of devastating natural disasters. May God give them strength to rebuild their lives. Bishop Mitchell Rozanski