New York, June 04, 2025: As disasters and public health emergencies grow in frequency and complexity, the demand for religiously and culturally competent crisis care has never been greater. In response, the Disasters & Religions App has been redesigned and relaunched with an expanded set of tools—most notably, a new prayers module specifically for chaplains and spiritual care providers.

Originally released in 2020, the app quickly became a trusted resource for increasing religious literacy and competency among voluntary organizations active in disaster as well as professionals across hospitals, emergency management, public safety, and public health—earning a 5-star rating. With its updated design and expanded content, the app now features nearly 400 prayers from 24 religious traditions, organized around 16 life-event and crisis-relevant themes including healing, death, birth, hope, and mealtime blessings. Many of these prayers are presented in English and Spanish, or alongside their original prayer languages, supporting multilingual care delivery.

Co-creators Brie Loskota and Peter Gudaitis emphasize that this redesign was driven by a need for real-world usability and. “We developed these tools to equip our nation’s disaster and first responders—whether chaplains, emergency managers, health workers, or volunteers—with what they need to serve survivors and victim’s families affected by disasters and public health emergencies in the most competent and compassionate way possible,” said Loskota, a national faith-based thought leader. Gudaitis, who serves as Executive Director & CEO of New York Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS) and President of the National Disaster Interfaith Network (NDIN), added, “The diversity of America’s religious landscape demands tools that are both practical and respectful of the crisis needs of all communities and people of faith.”