Beloved in the Lord,

We are filled with sadness and distress over the devastating explosion that recently occurred in Beirut, Lebanon. This has tragically led to loss of life, thousands who are injured, and countless people whose homes have been destroyed as a result of the power and magnitude of this blast. This area was densely populated with business and residences, but now it resembles a war zone. It is estimated the damages will reach at least $5 billion, and the city will not be able to rebuild and restore some semblance of livelihood without extensive aid.

In a letter from His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph from the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, he shared that the Archdiocese in Beirut, along with several churches and the Saint George Hospital all were severely damaged or destroyed, as well as many homes of their clergy and faithful. We join with our brothers and sisters in Christ during this time of great need to offer our prayers and support as they work through this catastrophe.

The pandemic has brought forth challenging circumstances for many of our people, but this is a time of even greater need for those who are suffering in Beirut for the basic necessities of life. We would like to provide our faithful with the opportunity to make a donation to help them begin their journey towards the restoration of their homes and livelihoods. The Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America encourages contributions to the Archdiocese (8 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10075 ATTN: Beirut) as they are providing direct support and relief to the people who are in great need. I encourage all the faithful in our Metropolis to consider a gift of love to help the people in Lebanon to help ease their suffering.

Thanking you for your prayerful consideration of support and beseeching the comfort of the Lord upon all those whose have been affected by this tragedy, I remain,

With Love in Christ,
+ G E R A S I M O S
Metropolitan of San Francisco