Katrina and David

Here’s a follow-up on yesterday’s shout-out to the Rev. David Knight of St. Patrick’s Church, Long Beach, Mississippi. Someone took a picture of David standing where the church used to be (this is what it used to look like):

St Patrick's Church and its Rector

Here’s the message I got from David last night:

Today was better. We saw at least 1000 people. The medical clinic was booming and we almost ran out of food in the relief center – but more is coming.

Jennifer went with a mobile medical clinic to Waveland, a town that basically no longer exists. They went door to door and saw about 40 people who have no way to travel. Good work.

Today our diocese came down with some clergy who are coming to help us. I have two WONDERFUL Priests assigned to St. Patrick’s. The BIG question everyone asks is – what do you need? It’s the one question that is impossible to answer, other than to say, everything. Beyond that, I don’t know what I am supposed to be doing, so I just try to do something every moment. Some of it helps, some of it does not, but if I HAD a manual about this, it got blown away with every other book I have ever owned (they were all in my office – including all my notes from every class in seminary. I grieve that as much as anything).

A couple of Seaburians will be traveling down to Long Beach to lend David a hand — blessings to Mitch and Patrick, and take our prayers and hopes with you.

I’ll be sending some books to David once I hear that package deliveries are getting through (at 982 Glen Oaks Dr., Pass Christian, MS 39571) — maybe you also have some duplicates to help one of our former top students restore his library. And I’m sending a check to St. Patrick’s. You can, too, at

Katrina Discretionary Fund
C/O St. James Episcopal Church
1026 S. Washington Ave
Greenville, MS 38701

(A note to the cautious: Discretionary Funds are carefully restricted in the Episcopal Church these days (they used to be a lot more discretionary than they are now!), and David is a model of integrity; I vouch for his trustworthiness, and church structures will be keeping a close eye on how the money gets disbursed. It’s not just for parishioners — it’s for anyone who walks in the door.)

2 thoughts on “Katrina and David

  1. As a working parish priest (Episcopal), let me second AKMA’s comments about the integrity of discretionary funds – they are a Godsend for taking care of urgent needs as they come up.

    AND

    As a friend of David’s (and former student of AKMA’s), I’d encourage anyone who reads this to GIVE!!

    David Bailey
    Rector, Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church
    Cincinnati, OH

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