News from Slidell concerns the son of Dolores Grogan OCDS: "My son was found today in Slidell. He was lifted from his house roof and taken somewhere to safety. I don't know how long he has been on the roof or what condition he is in but thank God he has been located in time. He has a two story house so it must have been flooded. Keep praying for his daughter, her husband and two small infants, they are still missing. We located my Nephew also today, he is in Mississippi in a hotel with his wife --he is safe."

Our Fr. Joseph Neilson’s brother George and his wife from Slidell finally got in contact with Father Joseph. He is now in Macon GA.

So many refugees have flooded into Arkansas, state officials say the number "cannot be determined." A Red Cross spokesperson "estimated 50,000, not including about 9,000 airlifted to Fort Chaffee." Our Fr. Provincial’s father, Gilbert Ross Sr., who has been staying in our guest house at Marylake was taken to the hospital yesterday evening with a temperature of 102. He has pneumonia. It has been a strain on everyone who had to abandon their home. The public services in Arkansas have been most helpful. As soon as St Vincent’s Infirmary learned that Mr Ross was one of the refugees from New Orleans, they took him in immediately. Br. Marie Joseph [in photo] had to go to the doctor with a strained back. I gave him my VISA card to pay the normal $100 doctor visit. Not only did the doctor see him within 2 hours of when I first called, once he learned that Brother was a refugee, he did not charge him anything.

A councillor of our Covington group has surfaced in Olive Branch MS, just outside of Memphis. She wrote to our provincial council: "my family and I are in a hotel for a week now in Olive Branch, MS...just outside of Memphis. I have not heard from one other member of our Covington OCDS Study Group... our cell phones do not work... I have forwarded your e-mails to everyone but have not received any word back. Thank you for your prayers for us. The Covington area was heavily hit by wind... it has no electricity, no gas, etc. and we don't know when we can go home." [photo of Councillor Suzette]

Fr. Sam Anthony files this report: "We are among the lucky ones. We weathered the storm in Covington, LA with the cloistered nuns. [photo taken "the morning after the storm"] There was some elevation there and they had a generator that kept pumping out even after the big pine tree fell on it. But we had to move two days after the storm because the nuns were asked to house 15 sick religious sisters on oxygen (needing electicity) and ours were better facilities for that than the abbey had… So we moved out that very day, after clearing the drive ways to the roads that had already been cleared for at least one exit out of town. Hard as it was to find gas, we managed to get 30 gallons of rationed gas and make it to Marylake.

"We have since rested a bit and bought some underwear, etc to keep presentable. Now we feel like the lucky ones! We are grateful to God and all our friends who have prayed for us and cared for us. We do not have adequae reports on the property we left behind. They say not to reappear on the propery even to check out our goods until we have been officially advised by the seminary rector. Today I was able to renew all my prescriptions in Little Rock for one month by decree of the governor favoring the LA refugees. Thank God for simplifying that process... These times are hard for so many. It makes us appreciate what we have."