The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is joining a nationwide effort by U.S. bishops to provide relief to those suffering from the effects of Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Fiona. Archbishop Bernard Hebda is asking all parishes in the archdiocese to take up an emergency collection on or near the weekend of Oct. 8 and 9.

Funds from the appeal will go to the Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund and will support the efforts of Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Relief Services, the official relief agencies of the U.S. Catholic Church. The money will meet needs such as clean water, food, shelter, medical care and aid in long-term rebuilding and recovery efforts. It also will support the pastoral and social needs of the Church in areas affected by the hurricanes, from the Caribbean to Puerto Rico through Florida.

Hurricane Ian plowed into southwest Florida Sept. 28 as a strong Category 4 storm. By late Oct. 3, the Florida death toll had reached at least 100. Downgraded to a tropical storm as it tore through parts of the state, Ian regained strength and regrouped as a hurricane before heading toward South Carolina. Residents of Florida and the Carolinas face a recovery estimated to cost tens of billions of dollars.

Hurricane Fiona bore down on Puerto Rico and other parts of the Caribbean as a Category 1 storm Sept. 18, leaving destruction and killing at least eight people. Back-to-back hurricanes — Maria and Irma — struck Puerto Rico five years ago, damaging more than 1,000 Catholic schools, churches and facilities, most of which still need to be remediated.