PORTLAND —  Bishop Richard Malone, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Maine, is directing all state parishes  to take up a special collection this weekend to help aid victims and communities impacted in northern Japan.

 According to a release issued by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland Tuesday the bishop is responding to the devastation following the earthquakes and tsunami that took place in Japan last Friday, March 11.

Funds collected will be directed to Catholic Relief Services, which will support Caritas Japan, the social service arm of the Catholic Church in that region.

Caritas has indicated that for now it will not be involved in immediate relief work, an operation run by the Japanese Army, but it will focus on long-term recovery, the release stated.

“The images of devastation and loss of humanity are overwhelming,” Malone said in a prepared statement.  “As Catholics, we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters as they face this unimaginable catastrophe. We pray for the dead and for their surviving families and loved ones, as well as for the strength and safety of the rescue workers.”

Malone said parishoners of the Diocese of Portland “have displayed their amazing generosity which goes beyond giving from their excess” in the past. 

“Even in difficult economic times, they live a wonderful example of charity,” Malone said.

 The last special collection for a disaster taken by the Catholic Church in Maine was last January for the Haiti earthquake recovery effort.  According to the diocese press release, that collection raised more than $472,000.

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