Students, faculty and staff at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, have rallied overwhelming support in response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster in the Gulf Coast and southern states. The Seminary community is offering time, money and energy to assist in the hurricane relief efforts.

On Sept. 9, 10 Seminary students traveled to Biloxi, Miss., to offer their assistance to victims of Hurricane Katrina. One of the students commented, “We have been helping people carry everything out of their main floor to the curb, knocking out drywall, shoveling mud, cutting and piling wood from fallen trees, etc. Anyone can do this work and it is needed. People are returning home for the first time since the hurricane and have no idea where to begin.” More students plan to go to Biloxi on Sept. 16. The relief efforts are organized by seminarians Jim Groleau and Landon Ledlow.

Seven rent-free apartments at Concordia Seminary have been made available for families affected by the hurricane. Distance education student, Jerome Terry, and his family, from Slidell, La., moved into one of the apartments on the Seminary campus on Sept. 9. Mary Kempa, residential services manager, commented, “Words cannot express the gratitude our first guests felt as they walked into their new ‘home away from home.’” Furniture, food and other supplies were donated by the Seminary community for the new residents.

In addition to the relief efforts taking place at Concordia Seminary, a special service including prayer, hymns and Scripture will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 6:00 p.m. in The Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

“The opportunity to shine the light of Christ through word and actions is tremendous. People have lost everything and are searching for something certain and sure,” commented another student volunteer.

For information on providing donations, monetary or otherwise, call the office of Residential Services at 314-505-7204. Concordia Seminary is located at 801 Seminary Place in Clayton, Missouri. For more information, call 314-505-7374.