Friends and alumnae/I of the Society of the Sacred Heart, U.S. Province, are invited to donate to the relief effort in Indonesia, one of the hardest-hit countries by the recent tsunami, by mailing contributions to the province's Finance Office.

Persons wishing to participate in this effort may either donate online or mail a check to the Society of the Sacred Heart, 4389 West Pine Blvd, St. Louis, MO, 63108.

Funds must be received via online donation or by mail by January 20. Checks should be made out to the Society of the Sacred Heart, U.S. Province, and envelopes and checks should be clearly marked “For disaster relief.”

The accumulated funds will be wired to the Indonesian Bishops' Conference, Office of Crisis and Reconciliation, in keeping with a recommendation by Sister Clare Pratt, Superior General of the Society of the Sacred Heart.

Sister Kathleen Hughes, provincial of the United States Province, noted that sending two large contributions, rather than many smaller ones, will greatly reduce transfer fees. (The cost of a wire transfer of funds is $30, regardless of the dollar amount being sent.)

A letter from Digna Dacanay, rscj, a member of the Sacred Heart community in Indonesia, and a letter from the Indonesian Bishops' Conference describe the suffering in Indonesia and the role of the bishops' conference in coordinating relief.