Province News

Jesuits in Peru Assess Earthquake Damage
Monday, June 25, 2001

Society of Jesus - Province of Peru
Costa Rica 256, Lima; Post Office Box 11-0124, Lima 11, PERU
Telephone: (51-1) 463-5006 / 461-8803; Fax (51-1) 461-9368
E-mail: sjperu@attglobal.net
Lima, June 25, 2001

Pval. 01/117

TO ALL PERSONS, COMMUNITIES, APOSTOLIC INSTITUTIONS AND WORKS RELATED TO THE SOCIETY OF JESUS - PROVINCE OF PERU

Our solidarity with those affected by the June 23rd earthquake

Dear brothers and sisters:

While we are still receiving information concerning the effects of this past Saturday's earthquake and also frequent calls from you who are concerned about helping the people are suffering, I am writing in order to share with you what our companions in Arequipa and Tacna have told us.

As of this morning the official information was that 71 people have died; another 36 are missing; and there are at least 1,200 injured. But the number of people affected and amount of material damage continues to increase as contact is established with the small towns in the outlying rural areas.

The Departments (states) of Tacna and Moquegua are the hardest hit: 80% of the housing in the city of Moquegua is not inhabitable, and 90% of the houses built out of adobe in Tacna are also seriously affected. In Arequipa many of the oldest houses and buildings have fallen down. At this time of the year the night time temperatures are only 40º F., so it is very necessary for the people to receive clothing as well as medicines and food. Electricity and water have only been partially restored in all of the cities in southern Peru, while many of the irrigation channels used for this purpose in the rural areas and the highways themselves have been cut off by landslides.

On the northern side of the city of Tacna, in an area categorized as "highly seismic," the dwellings of many of the 80,000 living there have been seriously damaged, even though many of them are of modern construction. Among them is the house of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondolet, who run the "Fe y Alegría" school Nº 40. Their house needs to be rebuilt. In addition several people who cooperate with the "Cristo Rey" Center for the Working Child have lost their homes.

But for us personally the saddest news is that among the victims was Gladys Soledad Huanca, a young woman only 23 years old, who has been working in the Family Catechetical program in our parish in Tacna, St. Peter the Apostle. When she was returning to her house, after classes with the boys and girls who are preparing for their first communion, a stone wall fell on top of her killing her instantly. With our prayers and our support we want to accompany her family and express our sympathy for their loss.

I will also share with you the most recent information we have received concerning the damages the earthquake caused in our own institutions:

At the "Cristo Rey" Center for the Working Child in Tacna, at moment the earthquake began, 200 young people were getting ready to celebrate the Eucharist in a first floor classroom. Thank God for their calmness, they were all able to move out to the central patio with no injuries. But there are structural damages in several of the classrooms on the first two floors, and a wall fell down. It is likely that the most of the building will have to be torn down and rebuilt.

At the "Fe y Alegría" Nº 40 school, which is next door to the "Cristo Rey" Center for the Working Child, part of the wall around the property fell down; two of the classrooms have suffered serious damage, and practically all of the windows were broken. We should be grateful that the earthquake occurred on a Saturday afternoon, because if it had happened during the school week, many of the students would have been among the victims.

In Ilo the area most affected was "Pampa Inalámbrica" (literally, "the wireless field"), an extensive urban area where more than 6,000 families live and where we have two projects: the Ilo occupational training center (CEOP-ILO) and the Pedro Arrupe "Fe y Alegría" Nº 52 school. Thanks be to God that neither of these buildings was seriously affected. Unfortunately, many of the people who work with us at those two projects live in the Pampa Inalámbrica neighborhood, and their houses have suffered damages. For example, the Vicentian Sisters who lived in that neighborhood have had to abandon their house because it is in imminent danger of falling down.

Although our houses in Arequipa have not suffered any damage themselves, many families have suffered the loss of their homes or damages that cannot be easily repaired. We need to practice our solidarity with them at this time of their need.

The Catholic Church through the "Caritas" department is also organizing relief help

For those of you who would prefer to make their contributions through the Society, or directly to those institutions that have been affected, you can send your contributions to the Jesuit Development Offices in Chicago (800-922-5327) and Cincinnati (800-831-9470).

I send you my warm wishes and once again my thanks for your solidarity.

Ernesto Cavassa, S.J.
Provincial