The nuns in Montenegro, in the department of Quindío, had already prepared the decorations for the feast of St. Clare when, on Monday, August 10, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake shook a vast area of central-western Colombia for four interminable minutes. The figures—inevitably preliminary—already indicate hundreds of victims, thousands of people missing, and incalculable damage in numerous cities.
The friars of the OFM provinces of San Pablo Apóstol and Santa Fé have informed the Minister General, Br. Massimo Fusarelli, that they are unharmed but that the buildings where they live and carry out their pastoral activities have sustained extensive damage. In light of this situation, the friars and sisters in Colombia have continued to provide assistance to their communities, to those who have lost their homes or loved ones, and to those who today have barely enough drinking water.
Among the long list of damages reported by the friars, the Monastery of St. Clare in Montenegro stands out, having been declared uninhabitable due to the numerous collapses it suffered. The sisters spent the night outdoors, cooked for everyone on the street, and managed to gather a few bottles of water. On the eve of their Mother’s feast day, they celebrated Clare’s Transitus nonetheless, and one of them left a message that cannot fail to move anyone: “ We have no water, no milk, and no eggs. God will provide. “.
In the face of all this, we can be the helping hand that lifts a people out of fear and poverty. Let’s help the friars and communities in Colombia cope with this emergency.
