A ugust 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina made landfall between the mouth of the Mississippi River and Grand Isle, Louisiana. The storm changed the history of the Gulf Coast, killing more than 1,800 people, flattening entire communities, leaving a million people displaced.  This August Mississippi Catholic will mark the 10th anniversary of the storm FEMA called “the single most catastrophic natural disaster in U.S. history.” The people of the Diocese of Jackson, Catholic Charities, Catholic Extension and the Catholic Schools stepped up to answer the unimaginable challenge of housing, feeding, educating and ministering to those impacted.
The paper will feature reflections from some of the leaders in the Catholic community from that time. The staff would also  like to include your stories. Did you find a new home in the Diocese of Jackson after the storm? Did you shelter evacuees? Did your parish host a fund raiser or go to the coast to help rebuild? Send your 500-700 word reflections to editor@mississippicatholic.com by Friday, August 7. The staff will review and publish some of the stories in the Katrina edition. Others will be posted online the week of the anniversary.