A Catholic priest in Houston kayaked from his home in search of higher ground, where he hoped to say Mass for those dispersed by Hurricane Harvey
A Catholic priest in Houston, Texas, kayaked from his home in the flood-ravaged southeast portion of the city Sunday in search of higher ground, where he hoped to say Mass for those dispersed by Hurricane Harvey.
Father David Bergeron, CC set off by kayak from his home early Sunday in search of displaced Houstonians, particularly those stranded in the streets, who may wish to attend Mass, Houston’s NBC affiliate KPRC reported. Bergeron said he tried to purchase wine for the liturgy at a convenience store, but was precluded from doing so by Texas’ so-called “blue law” which prohibits the sale of alcohol before noon on Sundays.
Bergeron likened the experience to that of the first Christian missionaries in the Americas.
“This is how America was evangelized — by canoe, ” he said.
Father Bergeron is a Quebec-born priest and associate director at Houston’s Catholic Charismatic Center, a large congregation of Roman Catholics who identify with the charismatic movement. The Center was not open Sunday given the grave weather and travel conditions.
The National Weather Service anticipates “additional catastrophic, unprecedented, and life-threatening flooding” well into the next week in and around Houston. The agency expects some 50 inches of rain will fall in the area before the storm is over.
