Vigil for fire victims
TRAINED trauma counsellors of the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) have been placed on standby to minister to victims and firefighters of the Australian bushfires if needed.
PCC’s general secretary the Rev James Bhagwan said in addition a vigil for Australia, its people and wildlife, would be held at the Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral, Suva at 3pm on Sunday.
Mr Bhagwan said Pacific churches would gather on the day which turns out to be Australia Day to contribute funds towards the bushfire effort.
Most of the trauma counsellors are church ministers and priests trained by the Uniting Church in Australia
(UCA) to help victims of natural disasters in the Pacific.
“We have also written to all our member churches to ask for financial and professional support for the bushfire effort,” Mr Bhagwan said.
“The vigil is open to all members of the public and they are most welcome to come.”
Following discussions with the moderator PCC, the Rev Doctor Tevita Havea, Mr Bhagwan said they had launched an appeal to assist their member church, the Uniting Church in Australia in their response to the bushfires ravaging the country.
“We are also asking those who have been trained as disaster trauma counsellors by Uniting World to offer themselves to serve on a short-term basis in Australia, should the need arise from UCA and PCC find the funds to send a team over.
Apart from the victims of the bushfire, members of the PCC have also been urged to pray for their sisters, brothers and children in Samoa affected by measles including those affected by recent natural disasters.