On January 12th a magnitude 7.0 earthquake devastated the country of Haiti. (See USGS Magnitude 7.0 - HAITI REGION) In our part of the hemisphere, this natural disaster and the suffering of the people call out to all of us in the aftermath. In lieu of a Celebrity Guest this week, we are calling all Stewards of Creation to respond if you haven't already.

Haiti is a much impoverished country ranked 149th out of 182 global countries, with over 60% of its population living in rural areas and 66% of the population working in the agriculture sector of the country. It is reported that 80% of the country is Roman Catholic. Most Haitians live on less than $2.00 per person a day. There is no profit farming in Haiti, it is subsistence farming, making enough just to live on! Because of this, Haitian's are very dependent on their small farm animals for labor and food, (i.e. milk, eggs, labor for row cropping of beans, growing rice, etc.)

What isn't being reported at this time, is the fact that south of Port-au-prince, a huge part of the rural country side has been decimated. There are tremendous needs outside of the large city and in these rural areas. The agriculture industry of this country has been knocked off its feet!

We see tremendous efforts underway now for emergency relief in all areas for the human population though a myriad of pitfall, logistics and transportation have to be worked out. But, not being reported is the need for relief for the invisible victims of the quake, the animals, farm and domestic. These creatures are vital to the Haitians ability to feed themselves.

So where to go to offer what you can?

We are featuring and recommending our HOT LINK this week as Catholic Relief Services, www.crs.org where 93 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to aid relief programs and they have an "A" rating with the American Institute of Philanthropy. They already have ministry and mission personnel in Haiti which allows them to mobilize quickly to distribute food, emergency supplies and information.

Many other organizations are also involved in relief efforts and we found a large list on CNN at www.cnn.com/impact where Catholic Relief Services is also listed. Also, we have found that the World Society for the Protection of Animals www.wspa-international.org has teams on the ground to address the suffering, abandonment and medical needs of the animals, though getting through on what remains as passable roads has been a challenge.

We are all called at times like these, not to wring our hands, but to offer our hands as Jesus' hands to help and heal the souls that need us so much!

I ask all of you for your generosity and prayers as we move forward in faith and in love to serve the Lord and one another and all of Creation!

Thank you!