From Diana Nesbitt: "This is a follow up on my previous prayer request for our daughter, Wanda, hubby, Keith, and their 4 children who live in Gulfport, MS. The children are in Birmingham for now. Gulfport has no power, water, or phone service. Gasoline is a big problem. Gas stations cannot pump without power. The nearest working gas stations are rationing; with high prices. Wanda, Keith, and my hubby made it to Gulfport last night; with a small truck of supplies to work with. They managed one cell phone call to me. Their goal today is: brace the remaining house structure, remove valuables, protect contents from weather, rip up the wet carpet, empty refrigerator/freezers, collect information from local officials, AND get back to Birmingham. All of the above is a tiny ‘drop’ in the ocean of this disaster. Please encourage your extended family, friends, and contacts to reach out as they can in the coming weeks and months."

From Jane Montoya in Minneapolis: "I am from a small town in Missouri. There is a convent not too far from my home town that is quite large. There used to be, I believe, a couple hundred sisters there, and now there are something like 50. They are Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. They are semi-cloistered. I have stayed at the convent myself as a retreatant. I don't know if they would be open to it, but it seems to me that it would be an ideal place to house some displaced sisters. The convent is in Clyde, MO. Let me know if I can help. We are Praying. God Bless."

News from Notre Dame Seminary of New Orleans now setting up quarters in Baton Rouge: The rector, Fr. Pat Williams, is in the process of setting up a new website for NDS at notredameseminary.com It should be activated by next Monday. Fr. Pat intends to "relocate our entire seminary community... to a facility that will allow us to continue our complete schedule... and our full program of priestly formation, by October 1st... The fall semester can be successfully realized." Each diocese and religious community is to appoint a seminarian to serve as contact person for the details involved in the relocation. "Finally we realize that each seminarian will want to check on his belongings ASAP, however, we have been asked by area officials to stay away from NDS until you get an all clear notice from the rector that it is safe to return." We must wait until "the water has been drained and the power has been restored." The water in the area was reported to be high enough for boats to float down Carrollton Ave.

Meanwhile at the Monastery of Marylake, our 13 refugees are coping with their temporary quarters with much gratitude. I met our Father Provincial’s sister-in-law Lisa and her two sons down in the laundry room this evening. They only brought 3 days clothing with them in their hasty retreat from New Orleans. Lisa is a teacher in a Catholic school down there, and brought two school uniforms for the kids in that three day supply. One never knows the mind of a mother ! Friends brought some clothing over for Mass this morning. I saw Brother Juan grabbing a pair of pants. In our first meal together in the refectory, someone remarked that Juan’s outfit was very nice. Brother Joseph Marie replied, "Yes that’s nice, but get used to it –you’ll be seeing it a lot this week."

Lisa and her husband Gilbert (Fr Gregory’s brother) are on the move again, this time from "Elmo’s hermitage" to the Marion House to make way for visitors for Fr. Augustine Healy’s funeral Thursday (not Tuesday, as I previous reported). Fr. Augustine from Malabar is safe and well, adjusting quite rapidly to American ways. Fr. Sam Anthony introduced him to "the hamburger", and this evening he tasted his first Mexican meal, going straight for the hot sauce. Finally more details on Gilbert and Lisa’s entourage: it’s a parrot, one blind dog (who is totally confused with this third new place), and two cats, one with only three legs.