VATICAN CITY – After leading thousands of pilgrims in praying the Angelus, Pope Francis offered prayers for flood victims in Texas and Louisiana following a devastating hurricane that caused massive flooding.

BATON ROUGE, La. – Goodbye house, car and treasured items that evoke favorite memories. Gone also for some people are their sense of safety, security and peace after August floodwaters took away much of what was familiar and dear to them in southwest Louisiana.

BATON ROUGE, La. – Water lapped at the heels of Father Michael Galea, steady rain an arduous reminder of Mother Nature's unfinished business.

BATON ROUGE, La. – The line of destruction caused by historic flooding in southern Louisiana stretches for 25 miles, and according to Red Cross officials, it is the worst natural disaster in the United States since Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

BATON ROUGE, La. – As Louisiana's governor announced the federal government had declared a major disaster for the state Aug. 14, Catholic churches in the Baton Rouge Diocese called for volunteers to help those displaced by extreme flooding and asked flood victims what assistance they needed.