Last Monday, August 10, a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake, with its epicenter in San José del Palmar (Chocó), shook central and western Colombia. Cities such as Pereira, Cali, Manizales, Quibdó, and Armenia are among the hardest hit. The death toll and number of injuredcontinue to rise as search and rescue efforts continue, and thousands of Colombian families have lost their homes overnight.
Homes destroyed, buildings collapsed, hospitals overwhelmed, and places of worship severely damaged, including the iconic Manizales Cathedral, which lost one of its towers.
We, the Daughters of Jesus, want to be close to those affected and show our solidarity in their time of grief. We have a presence in Colombia through a community and the Reina de la Paz School in Floridablanca (Santander), which makes us feel this tragedy even more deeply.
In communication with the community, the Daughters of Jesus shared with us that they are committed to responding to this emergency and that the school’s students have launched a campaign to send aid through the Food Bank. They are also organizing fundraisers to support the hardest-hit areas.
Today, more than ever, we stand united in prayer and solidarity with the Colombian people, with those searching for their loved ones amid the rubble, and with those who have lost everything.
We pray for Colombia
We join together in prayer and invite you to join us with faith and compassion:
Our Father, Good Father, You who are our strength in adversity, help us.
At this time of anguish and grief,
We pray for our brothers and sisters in Colombia.
May all those affected by the earthquake feel your support in the midst of this disaster, and
receive the assistance and care they need.
Embrace them with your mercy, love, and kindness.
Welcome the souls of those who have passed away, bring healing to the wounded, comfort to those who mourn a loved one, and strength to those who offer help.
Ease our anxieties and make our faith grow stronger and stronger.
Thank you because we can always trust you, “Father who cares for us all.”
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
One Family in Adversity
As the Colombian episcopate has so aptly stated in response to this emergency, the goal is to respond “with solidarity, responsibility, and fraternity.” We wish to make these words our own because prayer, to be faithful to the Gospel, must be translated into concrete actions. That is why we invite our entire charismatic family to join the humanitarian aid campaigns already underway and to keep Colombia in their prayers, especially at this time.
May our prayer become a gesture, and our gesture, hope for Colombia.
