Rebuilding a Parish House in Venezuela  

Venezuela is regularly affected by tropical storms and other natural disasters, and the country was particularly hard hit by the passage of Hurricane Julia in October 2022, which caused extensive damage. Tens of people died, and countless houses were destroyed.

In the parish of Tarmas in northern Venezuela, the rainfall was so heavy that the ground could no longer absorb it, leading to devastating landslides. There are 14,500 people here; many families lost their homes.

Fortunately, the parish’s beautiful 200-year-old church was spared, as the community was able to strengthen it in time. But the parish house was extensively damaged and had to be taken down, so now the parish priest has nowhere to stay.

Pastoral work in this area is difficult. It includes 10 villages with chapels and 23 smaller settlements. It takes many hours to travel the length of it, especially on rough, unmade roads. But the parish is very active.

They have asked us for help to rebuild the parish house, not only so that the priest can have a roof over his head, but also to provide a place where catechesis and other parish activities can be held. We have promised them $30,361.

Code: 239-01-19