Venezuela: Seminarians put theology into practice amid the rubble

“Seeing people embrace us and seek comfort in us is a sign that the Church’s mission is to be with the people,” says a future priest.

Germán Jiménez, a seminarian from the Diocese of Petare, Venezuela, is in the final stage of formation before his ordination to the priesthood. From the very first moment following the double earthquake on June 24, he mobilized to bring material and spiritual aid to thousands of victims in La Guaira, the worst-affected region.

According to the seminarian, the tragedy has left lessons that he and his classmates will never forget.

“We lived through the earthquake with great anxiety, nerves, and fear,” he tells pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

The official death toll has risen to 4,400, with many more still missing.

Germán was studying in his room at the St. Rita Seminary in Caracas when an earthquake alert sounded on his phone, and he heard “the noise and nervousness” of classmates. “We ran out of the building, worried about what was happening,” he said.

Hours later, the seminarians saw “collapsed churches, civic buildings, and homes,” both in Caracas and La Guaira. They offered their services to Caritas and parishes — to help people who had lost their homes and were searching for their loved ones under the rubble, Germán says.

“I have gone down to La Guaira on three occasions to see reality firsthand: people who still hope to find a loved one alive, others who are simply waiting to locate their remains,” he explains.

Together with his classmates from the St. Rita Seminary, he has distributed food, mattresses, clothes, and medicine, but his priority has been “for people to feel that the Church is with them,” and for the Church to stop to “listen, give a hug, a smile.” He is experiencing how “God makes Himself present in the midst of these circumstances.”

“Although we are not priests, they see us as representing the Church and Christ,” he says. “For people to embrace us and seek comfort in us is a sign that the Church must be present without publicity or expecting anything in return. It also reminds them that there is a God who loves them, a God who cares for them. The mission is not so much about doing, but about being. The work has been just that – being present among the people and making the Church present in their midst.”

In the midst of so much pain, Germán finds refuge in the Gospel. He says he is inspired by the passage where Jesus calms the storm and asks his disciples, “Why are you afraid?”

“He is in the midst of the storm with us,” the seminarian reflects.

Furthermore, he says he is learning a lot about his country, because “this tragedy has allowed us to see that we Venezuelans form one single family.” For example, “the first to go to people’s aid were the neighbors themselves, ordinary people. This spontaneous solidarity is a sign of hope for our country.”

Germán’s story reflects the role that many seminarians are playing in the Church’s response to the tragedy. While caring for the victims and bringing them comfort, hope, and material aid, these future priests are receiving lessons that will have a huge impact on the life of the Church in many dioceses.

On Sunday, July 12, Archbishop Raúl Biord Castillo, S.D.B., of Caracas celebrated a commissioning Mass for the seminarians who, having finished the academic year, will travel to the areas affected by the earthquake. The hard work they face helping the victims “is a crucial part of a ‘living theology,’” Archbishop Biord said. “Academic formation is important, but so is direct contact with the suffering and reality of the people, an experience that prepares future priests for their mission of serving those most in need.”

For his part, Germán prays for God’s mercy “in the midst of these times of difficulty. Venezuela has truly suffered for a long time from so many things, but today, especially, I want to pray that peace and tranquility may reign in Venezuela, and that His presence may also reign in the midst of everything we are going through.”

ACN has approved emergency aid of $114,358 (100,000 Euros) for the Diocese of La Guaira and Archdiocese of Caracas, to assist with the most urgent needs and to support the seminarians and priests who, like him, are accompanying the victims. This week, a delegation from the pontifical foundation visited the areas hit by the earthquake as a sign of communion and to assess new ways to support rescue efforts on the ground.

– Javier Martínez-Brocal and María Lozano