CALIFORNIA: San Francisco Bay devastated by massive oil spill; Grace Cathedral issues prayer call

November 15, 2007 [Episcopal News Service] San Francisco's Grace Cathedral has issued a call for prayer after a container ship hit the Oakland Bay Bridge on the morning of November 7 and dumped 58,000 gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, it is the bay's worst oil spill in more than a decade.

The Rev. Will Scott, associate pastor at Grace Cathedral, has suggested a prayer written by St. Basil the Great (329-379):

"O God, enlarge within us the sense of fellowship with all living things, our brothers, the animals, to whom thou gave the earth as their home in common with us. We remember with shame that in the past we have exercised the high dominion of man with ruthless cruelty, so that the voice of the earth, which should have gone up to thee in song, has been a groan of travail. May we realize that they live not for us alone but for themselves and for thee and that they love the sweetness of life."

While cleanup efforts have begun, the San Francisco Bay ecosystem has been seriously harmed. Wildlife at risk include birds, dozens of which have been killed; marine mammals, including harbor seals and sea lions; and fish such as anchovies, topsmelt and smoothhound shark. Nearly 1,500 birds have been picked up dead or alive, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has declared a local state of emergency to help secure funding for cleanup of the oil spill.

Several parishes in the Diocese of California are partnering with San Francisco Connect, which is training volunteers from San Francisco and the greater Bay Area to be of assistance in the cleanup.

To get involved, visit www.owcn.org or www.baykeeper.org.

To report an oil sighting, call 985-781-0804. To report oiled wildlife, call 877-823-6926.

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