WESTON, W.Va. — The new bishop of the Wheeling-Charleston Diocese saw there was a need in Lewis County in the aftermath of last week’s flooding and didn’t miss the opportunity to help.
Most Reverend Evelio Menjivar-Ayala took a trip to Weston to assist the community as residents pick up the pieces.
“I saw the tremendous hardships that so many people are going through because of the flooding,” Menjivar-Ayala said on MetroNews “Midday” this week. “It’s good to spread the news as well of the good things happening in the community.”
St. Patrick Church and School in downtown Weston were affected as the floodwaters swept through the area last Tuesday. The church has continued to provide updates on Facebook in the days since the flooding. Menjivar-Ayala said the church has even become a hub for disaster relief in the community.
“The beautiful thing is that, in spite of the damages that happened in the school, that did not stop people from coming together to help others,” Menjivar-Ayala said. “So, it is beautiful to see how the parish is coming together to help. It has become the center of relief.”
Menjivar-Ayala said it’s amazing how people have organized together, and neighbors are helping each other.
“Bringing the true West Virginian spirit,” Menjivar-Ayala said. “That is in the midst of tragedies, people come together to help others, to help the neighbors.”
Menjivar-Ayala even got to work at a family’s home in Weston, assisting them as they cleaned out their basement.
“Obviously, it was full of mud and a lot of stuff,” Menjivar-Ayala said. “It was hard to see the people, because (of) the damage; the possessions that they lost.”
There are long-lasting impacts of the flooding, Menjivar-Ayala said. He noted that the community will never be the same, but residents have also shown tremendous tenacity in attempting to bounce back.
“They face the difficult task of just putting away so many beautiful memories,” Menjivar-Ayala described. “Pictures, schoolbooks, and things that they treasure so much. But, at the same time, it was good to see that people are so resilient.”
The bishop said Weston residents are “very much willing” to rebuild their homes, lives and community.
Additionally, Menjivar-Ayala said different parishes and churches are chipping in. He said it’s not just people from Weston, but people from around the state who are helping. He said residents in the Eastern Panhandle, and in Wheeling, have identified the need for assistance.
“The people got the message, the news, that our brothers and sisters in Weston, in Lewis County, needed help,” Menjivar-Ayala said. “They are coming together. That’s why the Diocese is also having a special collection for the parishes.”
That collection is asking for people to donate, with those funds going to assist people. Menjivar-Ayala said there are “no questions asked” and it’s not just about helping fellow Catholics — they’re looking to help everyone.
Menjivar-Ayala invited people to write checks this weekend and next to St. Patrick’s in Weston with “Disaster Relief” on the memo line. He reiterated that all the money is going to be sent to the area. He said the churches are preparing list of items that are going to be needed — such as water heaters, new carpet, and new floors — to address the damage.
The St. Patrick’s Facebook page has the latest items needed here.