St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church / Facebook
CV NEWS FEED // With crucial support from the Knights of Columbus, North Carolina pastor Father Joshua Johnson has been providing both material and spiritual aid to communities devastated by Hurricane Helene.
In the aftermath of the storm, Fr. Johnson, a married priest of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter and member of the Knights of Columbus, has been working tirelessly to assist his parishioners and neighbors, according to a report from the Knights.
The report shared that Fr. Johnson, alongside the Knights of Columbus, distributed more than $8,000 worth of supplies to affected families over the past two weeks, including generators, food, water, and other necessities.
Hurricane Helene caused significant destruction and resulted in over 230 fatalities, with 95 confirmed deaths in North Carolina as of October 14. The actual toll is likely higher, with estimates suggesting between 115 and 125 fatalities, as many individuals remain missing, and additional deaths are still under investigation for confirmation as to whether they are “storm-related.”
This makes it the second-deadliest hurricane in the U.S. in the past 50 years, according to the report from the Knights of Columbus.
“Seeing where people had died and where their lives had been destroyed was sobering,” Fr. Johnson said in the report.
Fr. Johnson and the Knights’ relief effort was supported by Corpus Christi Catholic Community in Charleston, South Carolina, and Knights from Father P. N. Lynch Council 704, who were eager to return the help they once received after Category 5 Hurricane Hugo in 1989.
“We all remember Hurricane Hugo,” Past Grand Knight George Seago of Council 704 explained in the report. “Strangers — people we had never met — offered to help us in our time of need. As Knights, we knew this was our chance to help this community.”
Fr. Johnson said that the first day of the hurricane was a “day of prayer” for him, as call after call from parishioners came in requesting his prayers.
“We lit up candles in our home chapel, which doesn’t have any windows, and I celebrated Mass by candlelight for the protection of our people,” he said, according to the report.
In the two days following Hurricane Helene’s arrival, Fr. Johnson held Mass at his home and at St. Edmund Campion Church. Each gathered around 20 people — roughly one-fifth of the pre-hurricane attendance. On October 6, he celebrated Mass outdoors at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Swannanoa, which was still without power.
“It was beautiful to celebrate Mass for them,” Fr. Johnson told the Knights. “Those able to attend were very comforted being at Mass with their brothers and sisters in Christ.”
“It was a traumatic experience for a lot of people,” he added. “And they still came to church to offer their suffering to Jesus in the Eucharist.”
Fr. Johnson requested that the faithful help by offering Masses for those who have died and praying for their loved ones.
“The first thing people can do for us is have Masses offered for the souls of the people who died,” Fr. Johnson said. “And then pray for the people who have lost someone — especially parents who saw their children swept away by flood waters — and [those] who lost their livelihood.”
