By Patrick Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Among the most generous givers to the Diocese of Honolulu’s Maui Wildfire Relief fund have been other American dioceses. The largest donation, $543,898.16, came from the Roman Catholic Bishop of Orange, California, funds it collected in a special parish appeal.
The Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, gave $213,634.45.
As of Nov. 13, three months after the Aug. 8 firestorm destroyed the town of Lahaina, 5,317 gifts totaling $4,152,269.66 were given to the Hawaii Catholic Community Foundation for wildfire relief, Maria Lanakila Parish in Lahaina and the parish’s Sacred Hearts School.
The JTMF Foundation gave $300,000 for Sacred Hearts School for tuition assistance.
The Herald received the donation numbers from Terra Jones, development associate of the Diocesan Finance Office who is handling the donations.
She said that most of the donations come via the link to Maui Wildfire Relief on catholichawaii.org.
The Hawaii Catholic Community Foundation, a non-profit organization the diocese established to aid parishes and schools, set up the Maui Wildfire Relief fund two days after the fire.
The national Knights of Columbus gave two donations of $100,000, one to the general Maui Wildfire Relief fund and one to Sacred Hearts School.
The Diocese of St. Petersburg also gave $100,000 to the Maui general fund.
Here are some other noteworthy donations:
- Roman Catholic Bishop of San Bernardino, California: $48,773.97
- St. Ann Parish, Kaneohe: $25,238.50
- Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin: $14,960.52
- Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield, Massachusetts: $78,083.82
- Balousek Family Foundation (Jack and Kathleen Balousek), California: $25,000 for Maria Lanakila
- Archdiocese of New Orleans: $25,000
- Christ the King Parish, Pleasant Hill, California: $32,449
- Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan: $27,073.23
- Roman Catholic Bishop of Stockton, California: $36,277.44
