The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has dispersed more than $1.5 million in donations to assist those affected by Hurricane Katrina, officials said this week.

Msgr. Royale Vadakin, moderator of the curia and vicar general, said that $1,515,822 had been raised through appeals in the parishes as of Sept. 19. The money has been sent via wire transfer to the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Diocese of Biloxi and Catholic Charities of Los Angeles.

Individual parishes and schools, including those with special connections to the affected areas, have also launched various projects to assist victims.

In South Pasadena, for example, the power of the internet proved itself last week when a few e-mails transformed a small donation effort by a couple into a truckload of 26 pallets of goods, all destined to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Katie and Tim Carey, parishioners at Holy Family Church, had been reading an e-mail diary of what was happening in Baton Rouge via Tim's cousin Granger Babcock. That town nearly doubled in size with refugees and officials there are still waiting to receive relief.

"It was heartbreaking to hear what was going on there," says Katie Carey. "We decided that we wanted to do something that would directly help the families; we wanted to send things that could be handed directly to the refugees."

After a few e-mails to friends far and wide a week ago, the Careys were surprised that their small-scale endeavor had grown. "I realized the magnitude of this when one of the first people to come and make a donation had learned about this from a school's website in Alhambra."

Indeed, the project became a community and neighborhood affair. Friends Mary and Bill Urquhart across the street offered the use of their sport court for donation collection. Other neighbors and friends came to collect and sort the goods which included clothing, diapers, towels, detergent --- everything but furniture.

Boxes were donated by Monrovia-based Pink Transport; Allen-Lund Co. of La Canada Flintridge sponsored the tractor-trailer that will take the goods to the Pentecostal Church of Alexandra for distribution.

The truck loaded up its haul on Sept. 20 and it's hoped to be at the church on Sept. 23. "People really want to help one another," said Carey. "One little e-mail can make such a big difference."

(Clothing may be sent directly to Dr. Granger Babcock, 10534 Cal Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70809.)

La Salle reaches out

The entire La Salle High School community came together Sept. 2 to collect more than $10,000 for fellow Lasallian schools that were damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

At the school's first liturgy, students, faculty, administration, alumni and parents donated money during the passing of the collection baskets. Three of the five Christian Brothers' schools in the New Orleans area were severely damaged.

Father Bill Nicholas ('88) from St. Cecilia Church in San Francisco; Father Richard Krekelberg from St. Rita, Sierra Madre; Father Francis Dang from Assumption, Los Angeles; Father Joe Moniz from St. Philip the Apostle, Pasadena; Father Paul Fitzpatrick of Ss. Felicities and Perpetua, San Marino; and Father Francis Mendoza from St. Andrew, Pasadena, joined the La Salle community in prayer and servitude.

By the end of the liturgy the collection baskets totaled almost $8,000 in donations, and by the end of the day donations reached over $10,000. A similar outpouring of charity was seen last year in the collection for the Asian Tsunami Relief Fund.

The three Lasallian schools that are damaged were St. Paul's School in Covington, and De La Salle and Christian Brothers Schools in New Orleans. La Salle principal Pat Bonacci said the Pasadena school would take part in enrolling students from the three affected schools who have family in the Southland, just as other Lasallian schools around the nation have done.

For updates on the conditions of the three Lasallian schools, visit the Christian Brothers regional web site: www.cbconf.org.

At Sts. Felicitas and Perpetua School in San Marino, a Sept. 9 "Movie Night," organized by parents to augment the money collected at Mass, boosted the parish's Katrina relief effort.

"The event was a huge success," said parishioner Patti Brugman. "Kids brought sleeping bags, parents brought lawn chairs and all set themselves up to watch 'Swiss Family Robinson' in the parish hall. With proceeds from popcorn and drink sales, and combined with other parish donations, Sts. Felicitas and Perpetua Church sent off a check for over $11,000 to Catholic Relief Services."

Brenda Rees contributed to this story.