U.S. Christians Launch Special India Appeal
Diocesan Press Service. June 6, 1966 [44-10]
A nationwide appeal to Christians on behalf of the millions of suffering men, women and children is now underway. This is the first nationwide appeal ever conducted jointly by the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. Your contribution to the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief, marked "Famine Appeal," will help these men, women and children in India.
This appeal is being conducted in response to pleas from Pope Paul VI and the World Council of Churches for Christians of all nations to unite in helping solve India's food shortage, which was worsened by recent droughts.
Earlier this year, Bishop Edward E. Swanstrom, executive director of Catholic Relief Services - National Catholic Welfare Conference, and Dr. David M. Stowe, director of the Division of Overseas Ministries, National Council of Churches, called upon American Roman Catholics and Protestants to help India.
In their joint statement, Bishop Swanstrom and Dr. Stowe said: "Confronted with the magnitude of the disastrous famine in India and the enormity of the suffering and death being visited upon uncounted millions of India's people, we of the Christian churches are conscience bound in justice and charity to raise our collective voices in their behalf."
You will soon see a poster in your church or parish hall showing India's hungry children. This is part of a special summer famine appeal by The Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief. Most of the money contributed to the special appeal will be used for improved seeds, modern tractors, chemicals to destroy crop blight, machinery to dig deep wells -- these are the means of growing food to stop hunger.