On February 6, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated large areas of central Turkey and northwest Syria. The death toll has surpassed 17,000 and continues to climb.

We continue to witness via news reports the horrible loss of life and damage in Turkey and Syria, and we stand in solidarity and prayer with our brothers and sisters there. Catholic aid agencies have launched emergency collections for quake victims.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Church, is already on the ground offering emergency relief efforts led by local partners with Caritas Turkey, Caritas Syria in Aleppo and Lattakia, and others. They are bringing displaced people to safe spaces and distributing hot meals, clean water, hygiene supplies, and othe essentials. They are collecting donations. If you wish to help in these efforts or make a donation, please visit crs.org.

Along with financial support, prayer remains essential. Let us continue to offer our prayers to our brothers and sisters who mourn losses and face this devastation.