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We recently heard from Father Mark Lane, a CFCA preacher, who lives in the Brooklyn area and witnessed the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. He provides us this update from the road, as well as pictures of the storm’s damage taken by Gerri Hernandez, who gave us permission to share them. (You can see more pictures at this Facebook photo album.)

Two weeks out from Sandy I was at St. Rosalie Parish in Hampton Bays, Long Island, New York.

I was initially a little apprehensive about the appeal, given all that the area has been through with Superstorm Sandy.

Some people were still without power. The parish was a center for aid and relief for the diocese, and there were two appeals for detailed aid during each of the Masses.

I took courage, though, from the pastor ñ a newly ordained ex-IBM marketing executive who was hospitable and supportive ñ and from the first Scripture reading. Elijah asked the widow for food despite knowing that she and her son had only enough for a last meal.

Why? Because he is oblivious to her situation? Egocentric?

I think the key is in the Gospel where Jesus points out the difference between the scribes and rich who give from their surplus and the widow who gives all she has to live on.

The giving Jesus commends to his disciples (and which he will himself live) is total. The more we give, the more we create space to receive. The more we pour ourselves out, the more the Spirit flows in. Read more

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Father Mark Lane, a CFCA preacher, lives in the Brooklyn area and witnessed the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. Here is a recent email from him:

Slowly the enormity of the devastation and disruption is dawning on many of us. Every hour seems to bring new images and stories of the force of Sandy and her aftermath.

I say “slowly dawning on us” because some of us at first survived with little or no problem.

The Oratory Church of Saint Boniface where I live in downtown Brooklyn, just across from Wall Street in lower Manhattan, was relatively unaffected. We did not lose power, and we had no flooding.

We did feel the force of the wind. We watched trees stripped of the last of their leaves, and some branches and awnings and debris blow past our windows in a mad and scary parade.

‘The full impact’

We woke thinking that the storm had passed without too much damage. But hour by hour, day by day, we see more and more the full impact.

Little food is now on the shelves in supermarkets, people are still walking about in a daze or trying to get around without public transport, and now we still have limited bus and subway service. What is available is extremely crowded.

The traffic is backed up for miles, seemingly everywhere, sirens and horns are blasting from morning to night. We live near approaches to the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, and they are jammed with traffic that barely seems to move.

Usually the view from our area of Brooklyn is of the island of Manhattan. It is at night lit up like a Christmas tree – a beautiful sight twinkling on the waters of the East River that divides us – but the whole lower half of the city is now eerily dark. No power, no water, no phones …. everyone there is fleeing uptown to eat, wash and recuperate. Read more

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