CMSM
Information from Religious Communities
about the Aftermath to the Earthquake in Chile
The following messages are being forwarded to all CMSM Major Superiors, Councilors, and J & P Directors by T. Michael McNulty, SJ, CMSM Director of the Office of Justice and Peace:
The Dehonians (SCJ)
In our Province, we happily did not have to mourn the loss of human life. All the confreres and their families are well. Some families have suffered serious material damage, but it was more important that they survived.
As far as our works are concerned, I can report the following. In the parish of Santo Cura de Ars in the right hand transept, as seen from the street, there is a large crack which has to be evaluated yet. I do not know whether the damage is structural or superficial. In the Centro Dehon we will have to examine the second floor. In the Fátima parish, the ceiling presents problems; pieces of stucco have come down. However, there is no danger of the ceiling collapsing. In the house of the community of San Bernardo there was little damage.
In the Instuto Sagrado Corazón in San Bernardo the oldest part of the building had to be closed for reasons of safety until a more thorough investigation can be made. In the Colegio San Juan Evangelista there was damage in the computer lab where some of the spotlights have fallen down. In the foundation Sagrado Corazón (rehabilitation centre) there is no damage. Also in the central house there were only some superficial cracks. This is the provisional outlook. We will have to wait until a more expert analysis can be made of the damage. At any rate, it does not appear that we have suffered irreparable damage.
--Julian Braun
1 March 2010
The Columbans (SSC)
Update from Chile on Aftermath of the Earthquake - Fr Derry Healy SSC
Dear Friends,
It is five days since the earthquake and tsunami that has claimed the lives of more than 800 people with hundreds still not accounted for and more than 2,000 homeless. Some 700 churches and chapels have been destroyed in the five dioceses that make up the most affected regions. While we as Columbans do not have any parish commitments in the most affected areas, we do however have many contacts and frequent pastoral involvement. I personally have been going to Concepcion one a month for meetings. Some of our lay missionaries, Pilar Vasquez, our priests, Alvaro Martinez, our seminarians, Rafael Ramirez, members of JUCOMI (Chilean Columban Youth) Alejandro, all have family in the most affected regions.
All of us have been affected by this natural disaster and each one has his or her story to tell. For many days to come, people will ask, where were you for the earthquake? It is still the basic topic of conversation as if nothing else matters. One young university student said this evening, "once I discovered that my family was safe and our house was still standing, I just knelt down and thanked God and then headed off to help those who were still on their knees under the weight of the cross that they were made bear."
With several days without communication between the most affected regions, particularly the region of Maule (where the best of Chilean wine comes from), the battery radio and the flash lamp have proven to be indispensible companions. I had only to remember my father, as these were two of his most treasured items. Among the items that people are asking for in the affected regions are small batteries to keep the transistor going. Local radio has proved a Godsend gift where technology is used at its best to locate survivors, communicate information, and build a sense of community.
We have now realized that a tsunami occurred within 5 minutes of the earthquake and affected the coastal towns from Rancagua to Concepcion, some 429 kms. of coastline.
I could only think of a comment made by John Moriarty, when he said that the sea is beautiful and majestic, a wonder of creation, an invitation to thread its waves, but yet it is a beast and it can as easily bring destruction as well as beauty and calm.
The tsunami has been very embarrassing for both the Chilean government and navy who on several occasions assured the country that we were well equipped to respond to such a natural disaster and it would not take us by surprise as in other parts of the world. When it arrived it took everyone by surprise and resulted in several loss of life and massive devastation.
Chile has always been in denial that such a natural disaster was immanent.
It is only this evening that some of the affected regions have got their electricity back and they can see images on their television of the vastness of the tragedy throughout the country. Today many people are managing to make contact with their friends and relatives in various parts of the country and the world as mobile phones are charged and telephones systems are being restored.
We here in Valparaiso and Santiago have our water supplies and electricity restored since last Monday, however in some parts the water supply is restricted to certain hours of the day. I have learnt to live without a shower and spare the water in the bucket.
Santiago has got back to normal as regards transport and communication but transport in and out of Santiago is still difficult. Bridges on the main road from north to south known as "Ruta 5 Sur" collapsed during the earthquake, but the road is now open to emergency and relief traffic as the military have installed mechanical bridges.
This earthquake has brought out the best in Chileans and the worse. While most rallied to be of help and tried to keep calm, think on their feet and gather their immediate emotional reaction to do what was right and correct, others were empowered by evil for evil. They looted supermarkets and small business, left small shop owners with nothing to fall back on. These people laughed at the police and the press as they shouldered their merchandize away or transported it in pick up trucks. Today some of the same people were selling their supplies on the black market, no shame or self-respect.
This is very much in contrast to Matías Villegas and Miguel Neira from Rancagua who with a group of their university friends got together to cook and serve up a 1,200 hotdogs to people in the small villages along the affected coastline. Also there is Luis Gatica, a paramedic who lost his parents and his son in the tsunami in the village of Putú. He is presently giving himself completely to look after the medical needs of the survivors of the village.
While Chile does have the resources to respond to this natural disaster, there is so much inequality, centralization and no autonomous regional government. This has been brought to bear in the initial slow response by the government to the regions most affected by the earthquake and tsunami. With the military back on the streets of Talca, Constitucion, and Concepcion, a curfew has been put in place. And in the wake of all of this we foresee the likelihood of a right wing government taking power on 11th March. The scene is set for a very complicated, difficult and complex political and social reality in the immediate future.
This year Chile celebrates 150 years of its independence. The stage was set for a multitude of celebrations, two of which were cancelled over the past few days. The reality of the earthquake and tsunami has changed the sense of our celebration from rejoicing in a triumphal past to a building of bridges, healing of divides and the creation of a new sense of hope.
Every Chilean has been invited to respond to this natural disaster. Friday and Saturday have been set aside for a national campaign for Chile to help Chile. While we have received direct help from Australia, United Sates, Spain, Cuba, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru, all the country has been called on to come to the aid of the victim of this terrible natural disaster. While all Columbans parishes are committed to this campaign and church collections are being channeled through CARITAS CHILE, we as a region have decided to also focus our attention on some small towns and villages that are in great need and out of the limelight of the media.
We have decided to support on the immediate and the long term the villages that are part of the parishes of Pencahue, near Talca and Hualañe, Licantén and Vichuquén on the coastal region of Curicó. In Pencahue, a parish of 25 chapels, more than 1.200 houses have been totally destroyed and there is fear of the rains coming soon as we are into autumn. Fr. Alvaro Martínez has already gone down to Pencahue, while I am going down tomorrow, Friday to Hualañe and Licantén. Both of us have collected food supplies, and the local community here in Valparaiso has been campaigning for the past three days in solidarity with these places.
Many family members, friends, and benefactors are asking how to help. I would like to invite all who would like to respond in any way to the work of relief and reconstruction, to support our Columban initiative by your prayers and generosity. The villages that we are supporting are poor, and, when the country moves on to other things, they will be very often forgotten about.
During these days of Lent, the reality of fast and abstinence has taken on a real meaning for many people here in Chile. While the Christian communities are aware of this Holy season, most people are not. They are however caught up in a moment in their lives when all of us ask, where is our God?
There is a yearning to try and understand it all and see the Hand of God ever present and ever near in our lives and planet earth.
Many thanks to each and everyone for all your support, interest, prayers, and communication.
--Fr Derry Healy SSC
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