Appeal From St. Nicholas Parish in NYC

Friday, March 27, 2020

JOHNSTOWN, PA  [Diocesan Chancery] --  With the blessing of His Eminence, Metropolitan Gregory,  our Diocesan St. Nicholas of Myra Parish in New York City,  is appealing to the faithful of the Diocese to assist them in a special outreach project for the medical front line workers in the Coronavirus Pandemic at the City's hospitals.  The text of an appeal letter from Fr. William Bennett, Pastor of St. Nicholas  follows:

Glory to Jesus Christ! Slava Isusu Christu!

Brothers and sisters across the diocese, with the blessing of His Eminence, Metropolitan Gregory, we are appealing to all of you today for drawings and letters to share with the physicians, nurses, all the medical professionals and hospital staff who have put their lives on the line for the health and care of our community.

Belonging to the New York City community of our diocese, it is a fearful and humbling thing to watch the impact of the spread of Covid-19 (Coronavirus). We are an epicenter in the country with the most diagnosed patients in the world. Tents have been constructed outside of our hospitals and medical professionals have put their lives and the well-being of their families on the line. Just recently, my wife and I read that an E.R. nurse from the same E.R. where our daughter was born, and from the same hospital where we expect to shortly deliver our twins, has died of this virus. It is a large city with many, many people but if you live in a place long enough, some strangers have a way of becoming familiar. A number are dying for their blessed work, yet so many push on.

So in addition to your prayers, please send us letters and drawings. Send one. Send several. In the big picture, it is little work for us but meaningful and, we pray, encouraging and uplifting for the people who need it. If you would like to scan/photograph your letters and drawings to us, they can be emailed to:

connect@stnicholaschurchnyc.org

If you would like the mail them directly, they can be sent to our church address:

St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church 
288 East 10th Street
New York, NY 10009

May God continue to strengthen all of us and grant us all good health, praying especially for those embattled for our health! Snami Boh! God is with us!

With love in Christ,

Rev. Fr. William Bennett