Chile: Experience of the terremoto

03.03.2010

“I thought someone was trying to break into the house as the woodwork creaked and the front door vibrated”

Fr Derry Healy emails us from the coastal parish of Valparaiso [Farewell to Paradise! Indeed]

The death toll is now at 711, but is expected to rise. We thank the Lord that the Columban group are safe.  

I was not too long in bed and was woken up to what I thought someone trying to break into the house as the woodwork creaked and the front door vibrated. Soon I felt the whole house shaking and I just leaped out of bed and ran out to the street. Our house is wooden and on stilts on the edge of a ravine. I wondered would it fall into the ravine. I felt like it was never going to end.

Many of us spent the rest of the night on the street with the people. Here in Valparaiso, we gathered the people around, away from buildings and electricity wires and got a fire going and made a 40 litre pot of tea. Luckily we have a supply of cups in the Ecological Centre. 

I managed to contact all the Columbans (lay missionaries, Associates, Sisters and priests) by yesterday afternoon [Sunday]. Mobile phones were the first to get back the signal.  The Centre House in Santiago has suffered minor damages.  Also some of our churches had some cracks, but nothing major.

Communications, water and electricity are being gradually restored. Since the last major earthquake on March 3rd 1985, strict anti-seismic building regulations have been put in place in Chile and this has prevented a major disaster. This earthquake was much stronger than any experienced in recent years.

Yesterday, Saturday, was like a "Holy Saturday" just contemplating suffering and vulnerability and in a limbo situation. Today Sunday the gospel of the  the Transfiguration gives us new hope and wonder and while the little Christian community would like to stay on Mount Tabor, they are now challenged to become involved in the wider community and keep hope alive amid so much disaster. Today there has been here movement and people are trying to get back to normal life. As I write this there are still some tremors/aftershocks. People are still on the street and wont go back into their apartments yet.

Fr Derry Healy SSC is the Regional Director of Chile

Read: Columban in Chilean earthquake