Biloxi Mission Trips
The ‘Love of Christ…compels us’ to do all that
we do for one another, within ministry and within our community of
believers... and beyond.
Biloxi Bishop Thomas J. Rodi
On
August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of the United
States, destroying homes and buildings, leaving thousand of
survivors who had lost everything. In response to the
devastation caused in Biloxi, Mississippi and its surrounding areas,
the Diocesan Office of Long Term Recovery (DOLTR) was formed.
The DOLTR works with parishes, donations, volunteers and funds to
assist families and individuals, regardless of age, race or
religious affiliation.
St. James sent its first and second groups of volunteers down for
week-long mission trips in October 2005 and April 2006. The
third group went in March 2008. Volunteers are age 18 and
older, both skilled and ‘unskilled.’ Groups stay at a local
church facility where lodging, breakfast and supper are provided
free of charge. Volunteers were responsible for their own
travel to and from Biloxi, the cost of their lunches, and shared
costs of gas and car rentals (around $600 total). Groups were
assigned to rebuilding efforts on one or more of the thousands of
houses waiting to be repaired.