Newsletter of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
Rome, Italy
October 7,2005

San Salvador
Bryan Arriola y Yeffry Artavia Céspedes
St. Alphonsus Theology House.
October 6 & 7, 2005

Wednesday, October 6, 2005.

Greetings to all of you from San Salvador. As you may already know we have been the victims of a convergence of natural disasters. There has been the eruption of the Ilamatepec Volcano, in San Ana, then hurricane Stan and to make matters worse an earthquake in Ahuachapan. We are oppressed on all sides - as the psalmist says. In two hours time, around 50 people have lost their lives in the country. The pictures are frightening, whole families swept away by floods, thousands evacuated and homeless.

The Redemptorists of the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help have begun help the victims, by providing help through Caritas, the Conventual Franciscans and other institutions. There is much activity. For example in the evening different people in our houses are sorting out clothes, preparing food for the centers for the displaced, distributing plastic containers of water, bread etc. This suffering has only strengthened our solidarity.

We share this news with you and we ask your prayers for those who have lost their possessions and worse still, their families, in these disasters. God bless you.

Thursday, October 7, 2005.

To all our Redemptorist confreres:

Grace and peace of Christ, the Redeemer and our Mother of Perpetual Help!
I hope when you receive this that all is well with you. The purpose of this letter is to share with you the situation that we are living through at this moment in San Salvador, here in the St. Alphonsus Theology House community.

The weather situation has not improved, and the forecast is for worse weather to come. The number of people homeless has now reached more than 16,000, while the dead number more than 40 and the damage is incalculable. It is important to note that never in the history of this country have two natural disasters come together like this, a hurricane and the eruption of the San Ana Volcano.

The resources of the government are inadequate and a state of National Emergency and Public Calamity has been proclaimed. We know that other countries around us have been affected but the situation is worse here.

Faced with this situation, as a Redemptorist community, we have not stood idly by and we have tried to show as much solidarity as possible. As we have said, many people are in great need and at present we have particularly concentrated on helping the people of our parish in its two most affected areas: Planes de Rederos and Colonia Universitaria Norte.

We have helped to supply plastic bottles of water, clothing and milk and at the moment we are providing three meals daily to 250 people in centers for displaced people. As a community we have divided up into service groups. Cooking is done in the house with the help of our lay collaborators and we go out and deliver the food personally.

The scenes at times are heartrending and very sad. We see people who do not know where to go or do not wish to leave their little shanties. Children, women and the elderly are at risk and are without the bare necessities.

Faced with this situation we confidently rely on you, seeking your solidarity at this time when the hope of many people rests on what we can do for them.

Whatever solidarity you can show or in whatever way you can assist us please contact Very Rev. Fr. Vice provincial as soon as possible  (pjosearaya@hotmail.com). We also ask your prayers for all of us in this lamentable situation. We thank you for your help in anticipation and we will keep you informed as things develop.

In Christ, Mary and St. Alphonsus.