Spurred into action, the churches became involved in fundraising and organizing relief efforts for the orphans. Boston's North End was hit hard by the 1918 influenza epidemic, leaving hundreds of orphans in its wake. Father Antonio Sousa, O.F.M., pastor of the first Italian parish in New England, St. Leonard's Church, took it upon himself to help the suffering children. He spread his message through his sermons and letters sent to other Italian Roman Catholic Churches in the Boston Archdiocese, inspiring them to join his fundraising and relief efforts. Thanks to Father Sousa's tireless efforts, the orphans of the North End were given a second chance at life.