Help Afghan Civilians In Dulles: Comforter of Migrants, pray for us

Our Lady of Sorrows, Comforter of the Afflicted, Comforter of Migrants, pray for us.


The last few days I've been watching planes soaring overhead in my neck of the woods near DC. There seems to have been more planes the last few days for one reason: they are carrying Afghan civilians here to safety. Back in their home, as most of us know, things got dangerous and deadly for them. 


A plane full of US Soldiers going back to get more people out. Pray for them and their safety!



I thought of the similar images of when the US troops were pulled out of Vietnam in 1975 and Operation Babylift carted 2,000-3,000 infants to safety.
Operation Babylift carried babies to safety. In the bottom box you can see three little heads of newborns...




I thought of the images I saw online and knew if they were only a few minutes away from me, that Mary would want me to pray her miraculous rosary close to them. She is known as Comforter of the Afflicted and Comforter of Migrants, after all. Yesterday I drove down to the Dulles Expo Center and called on Mary to intercede for her children here, and for her children still stuck in Afghanistan trying everything to get out. I saw dozens of buses loaded with hundreds upon hundreds of families. They came off the buses looking confused, with rumpled clothes and parents holding their children. One little toddler girl stood on the sidewalk in soiled pink clothes sucking her thumb and looking at the police officers and the buses not sure what to make of everything....the air was one of relief and exhaustion.
Photo from NPR. Welcome home, friends. 

It was 92 degrees yesterday and those bathrooms smelled...everyone looked tired and had blank expressions.


I went home to my automatic garage, clean home, spoiled cat and full fridge thinking about them. I thought, "What would it feel like to escape screaming in the outfit I am wearing right now and shove my way to the airport right now to avoid being tortured and killed?" No thought for where I would get water, use the bathroom or sleep, just escape at all costs without human dignity. 

My Afghan sister who went through that is here, half an hour away, my Afghan brother is here who went through that just a few miles away. Each human is connected to each other through the love of God in His creation of us in His love and image. Can we do something for them? Yes. Should we? Absolutely. They are ours to love and to help. You can help them wherever you are with as much social distance or as little as you like.

Here are ways to help:

1. Pray the Rosary and fast. Mary promised in Fatima that praying the Rosary and fasting was strong enough to stop wars. The Rosary is miraculous. If you can, give up a meal in fasting prayer for your Afghan brothers and sisters. And you certainly can pray the Rosary. Here you can pray along with Pope Ratzinger in Latin. Why Latin? Latin is especially strong in prayer against evil because it was consecrated at the Crucifixion of Jesus by being inscribed on the cross. Rosary:


Catholic Charities in DC will be using anything you purchase above to furnish homes for Afghan Civilians. This is a great way to help them if you are not in the DC area or can't help in person.

3. If you are in the DC area like me, you can sign up to serve by making meals, preparing a home, picking up families at the airport, hosting a family in your house, offering space in your garage for storage, purchasing groceries. The Lutheran Social Services of DC has a form you can fill out indicating what you can do individually or organize your volunteer group (Knights of Columbus etc) to do something. Form:






4. Host a drive for supplies: Have your church or group host a drive for supplies. 

5. Donate your gently used home goods and furniture. The Archdiocese of Arlington will organize pick up. They need tables, chairs, and couches. Email: Contact: Belayneh Loppisso,  Belayneh.Loppisso@ccda.net,  office: 571.292.2259


Archdiocese of Arlington will come pick up your furniture.


5. Visit the Dulles Expo Center and bring children's clothes, diapers, wipes and toys. Don't worry on how to give it away, or how much to bring with you. The families are there needing clothes and needing love right now as you are reading this. 

6. Help set up a home: Here is a form to help set up a home for Afghan civilians. You can go as a team of 2-10 people to help set up. Get your friends to help you. 






In helping our Afghan brothers and sisters, we allow God to use us for His Greater Glory as vessels of His love. 
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