Priest, Nun Recover Consecrated Hosts After Aug. 10 Quake Damages 17th-Century Colombian Chapel
Updated
Updated · ewtnnews.com · Aug 17
Priest, Nun Recover Consecrated Hosts After Aug. 10 Quake Damages 17th-Century Colombian Chapel
2 articles · Updated · ewtnnews.com · Aug 17
Summary
Minutes after the Aug. 10 earthquake, Father Germán Andrés Clavijo and Sister Marcela entered Our Lady of the Rosary chapel in Roldanillo and gathered consecrated hosts scattered under rubble from a smashed tabernacle.
The wooden tabernacle had been knocked down when the quake struck at 7:34 a.m., breaking the ciborium; the pair recited litanies, moved recoverable hosts into a smaller vessel, and treated remaining particles according to Church protocol.
The chapel, dating to the 17th century, was left unusable, and the parish church also closed after the quake, forcing Masses into the town square while any chapel restoration depends on the Colombian government because it is a heritage building.
Roldanillo was among the hardest-hit areas: officials said the day after the disaster that 2 people died, 112 were injured, nearly 1,300 homes were affected, and 60% of the hospital suffered structural damage.
Why did a priest risk his life inside a crumbling, aftershock-prone chapel merely to rescue scattered fragments from the floor?
When a record-breaking quake shatters historic monuments, will the government prioritize saving sacred heritage or rebuilding devastated local communities?