Bush fires in Australia

2 JANUARY 2020 | GENERAL INTEREST

The Missionary Franciscan Sisters are very deeply saddened by the fire events of the past weeks. It has been deeply distressing to hear the stories of those who were caught up in the all destructive infernos which have swept across such large areas of our beautiful country. It is hard to imagine how terrible it was to experience the fires first hand.

We share the grief or the families and communities who have lost loved ones in the fires. We listen to the pain and the anger of those whose homes and belongings were lost. We are proud of, and grateful to, the volunteer fire fighters, emergency response workers, and the many local heroes who have stepped up to try to limit the loss of life and property in the fires and to keep people safe.

The Sisters acknowledge the very difficult circumstances that have faced farmers and business owners across many years now, with drought, water shortages and now fires which have all affected crops, livestock and businesses. All this has occurred against a backdrop of increasing frustration at lack of meaningful action against the reality of climate change.

We give deep thanks to the volunteers of wildlife rescues, RSPCA and government workers who have gone out in dangerous circumstances to attend to, and to rescue, injured wildlife and livestock. We are grateful for the generous donations that have been given to help these animals. We too have  joined with the thousands of individuals who have donated to these organisations in recent weeks and encourage those who can to do so also.

As a Nation we grieve the terrible trauma and losses that have occurred. We will do what we can to assist in the recovery operations by joining with the very many other individuals who donate to the Bushfire Appeals.

We pray for our Nation and for those who have been so badly affected by the fires. We pray that as we continue to reflect on the events of the past weeks our Nation will grow strong in resolve to find solutions for the future protection of our people, our great land and shared planet.