MSC Venezuela, Letters about the earthquakes

From the Irish Province and the MSC Ireland Mission Office

 Fr Joe McGee MSC, Irish Provincial Superior

“Tragically and regrettably, devastating earthquakes occurred in Venezuela on the evening of June 24th. Many lives have been lost and homes destroyed. We have several missionaries both Venezuelan and Irish working in Maracaibo and in Caracas. Thankfully, our missionaries in Caracas or their local parishes have not been directly impacted, with the same devastation as other parts of the city.  As the earthquake occurred, they were able to evacuate the parish church where Mass was taking place. All escaped without harm. We will keep in regular contact with our missionaries and will offer assistance from our Irish resources as the situation unfolds.”

A letter from Br Deiby

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

We are addressing you following the strong 7.1 magnitude earthquake recorded in our capital today, June 24, at 6:05 p.m., which was followed 40 seconds later by a 7.5 magnitude aftershock.

Fortunately, and thanks be to God, the infrastructure of our church, the parish house, and the halls did not suffer major damage, reporting only small cracks that are easy and inexpensive to restore. However, we deeply regret the total collapse of many homes, buildings, and sister churches across the city.

We would like to highlight that during the emergency, the faithful evacuated our church in an orderly and civic manner, allowing Father Juan Jennings, MSC, to lead a prayer of strength outside.

Tomorrow we will continue with prayers, holy hours, celebrations of the Word, and the Holy Eucharist. We will pray for the eternal rest of the deceased, the prompt recovery of the injured, and the protection of those leading the rescue efforts: Civil Protection, police, military, medical personnel, and volunteers of good will.

“Let us pray to the Lord for those affected by the strong earthquake that caused loss of life, for their eternal rest”

Finally, we inform you that both Father Juan Jennings and myself, Brother Deiby Fuenmayor, MSC, are doing well. We remain on alert and with great caution, as more than 20 aftershocks have been registered and new tremors that could exceed magnitude 5 are forecast for the coming hours.

Let us remain united in prayer and solidarity.

† Fraternally in Christ,
Brother Deiby Fuenmayor, MSC

MSC beginnings in Venezuela

In 1967, the MSC community extended their reach to South America, where four MSC priests from the Irish Province established a mission in the city of Maracaibo in Venezuela. From this point, the community there began to expand further with the arrival of new MSCs, and by 1982, the mission had broadened its horizons to encompass the state of Tachira (in the Andes mountain region), the diocese of Carora in central Venezuela, and the Caracas region.

In Venezuela, the MSC community works in the barrios (impoverished areas with Spanish-speaking communities). Here, MSC priests face a variety of challenges, working in parish ministry, endeavouring to encourage and support the youth of the area, maintaining an active presence in hospital chaplaincies, and caring for the poor, the sick, and the dying.