A special collection will be taken up at all Masses in The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington this weekend, Oct. 1 and 2, to assist in recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Fiona and Hurricane Ian.

“Hurricane season this year has already seen more substantial damage than we’ve seen in many years with Fiona hitting Puerto Rico and other islands, and now Hurricane Ian striking Florida and tracking to make landfall along the southeast coast,” Terence J. Farrell, chancellor and executive secretary of the Curia of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, wrote in a letter to all priests announcing the collection.

Hurricane Ian, a destructive Category 4 storm, slammed into western and central Florida with winds of more than 155 mph Sept. 28 and 29. It is causing massive damage as it continues its path up the Eastern Seaboard of the United States.

Hurricane Fiona, a Category 3 storm, struck earlier this month. The 11-day storm hit the Turks and Caicos islands, Puerto Rico, Bermuda and the Atlantic provinces in Canada. It is believed to have killed at least 17 people, displaced about 13,000 people and caused billions of dollars in property damage.

“Please know that the special collection for this weekend, Oct. 1 and 2, for those of the faithful who wish to give, will be used to assist the recovery efforts from these and other natural disasters, especially for the affected areas in Florida and southeast U.S. in addition to Puerto Rico,” Farrell wrote.

Farrell noted that in addition to the in-church collection, the faithful can assist in recovery efforts online at adw.org/relief or https://lp.catholiccharities.us/Hurr_Ian or https://lp.catholiccharities.us/HurrFiona.