A comprehensive system to coordinate companion relationships linking Episcopal Church dioceses to congregations and institutions hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina is nearing finalization in the Office of the Bishop Suffragan for Chaplaincies.
Bishop George Packard -- who oversees national chaplaincies, including those supporting the Armed Services -- today continues his consultations with Louisiana Bishop Charles Jenkins and Mississippi Bishop Duncan Gray III to determine an optimal structure for companion
relationships that will assist in both the near and long term. Packard is expected to bring his recommendations to the House of Bishops for further discussion and refinement during the bishops' upcoming meeting September 22-27 in Puerto Rico.
Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold will visit hard-hit areas in the dioceses of Louisiana and Mississippi beginning September 19.
Specific information about the companion system will be announced as soon as possible, and ongoing updates will be posted online.
The companion initiative and other front-line services provided by the chaplaincies office are part of the Episcopal Church's collaborative response to the Katrina disaster. This response includes specific projects of three additional church groups: Episcopal Relief and Development, Episcopal Migration Ministries, and the National Association of Episcopal Schools. The companion initiative is also informed by suggestions from the national Episcopal Communicators organization and the Office of Communication at the Episcopal Church Center.
