To all Missionaries of the Congregation
I am writing to give you an update on the situation of our confreres in the areas affected by the tidal waves. 30 December 2004
Dear Brothers,
May the grace and peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ fill your heart now and forever!
I am writing to give you an update on the situation of our confreres in the areas affected by the tidal waves. On 27 December we sent an e-mail to the Visitors of those countries: Indonesia, India (both North and South), the Philippines and Kenya. As of yesterday, 29 December, I have received reports from Southern India, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
Antonius Sad Budianto, the Visitor from Indonesia, reports that they are far from the place of the catastrophe. Some confreres and young lay activities have campaigns going to raise funds to help the victims.
I also heard from Marcelo Manimtim, the Visitor from the Philippines, reporting that the Philippines fortunately were protected land-wise by Malaysia and Indonesia and so were not affected either by the earthquake or the resulting tsunamis. They did receive a couple of aftershocks in some of the islands of the Philippines, but they were low on the range of the Richter scale. The thought of victims and what could be done to help them has provoked a number of cancellations of Christmas parties and toned down the external merrymaking that happens at this time of year. They have been collecting money and goods and organizing groups to help the victims in the areas most affected. He said that in this way they are able to share some of their gifts with the brothers and sisters who found themselves with much less during this Christmas season.
The Provincial Procurator of the Province of Southern India, Davis Kachappilly, reported too. He was happy to note the prompt concern and solidarity that we expressed here from the Curia in inquiring about the casualties caused by the tidal waves. In India, Nagapatinam is the worst affected area. It is one of the famous pilgrim centers, where thousands of people flock every day to open up their hearts and ask for the blessings of our Blessed Mother. The confreres are already engaged there in relief work. The Visitor, Fr. Jose Aikara, has gone to the area to do a study of the most affected areas. Fr. Davis reports that some of the confreres’ families were also affected by the tidal waves. Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh are the states where our confreres are working. They were not affected so much by the tidal waves, but the people for whom they work have been affected badly. So they are making appeals to the confreres and other related associations to reach out to help the victims in their dire need. He writes that he hopes there will be collaboration too from the Congregation and particularly the Curia.
Also from Southern India, we received an e-mail from Fr. Chellan Wilson from Chennai, after he visited some of the areas worst affected by the tidal waves. He said that the confreres from Tamil Nadu and their family members are safe. However, Fr. Merlin’s family incurred the loss of the houses and fishing boats of his family members and relatives. Two teachers from the school in Chennai lost family members. One of the teachers lost five; another lost two.
To these and all the victims and the families of the victims of the tidal waves we express our condolences. They have our prayers in the hope that people of good will everywhere will respond in solidarity in the best way possible to this disaster.
Fr. Wilson mentions that perhaps up to 20,000 people in the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu and Chennai were victims of the tidal waves. People are homeless in Nagapatinam, Kadalur, Kanyakumari and Chennai. Villages have been completely wiped out and there is no sign of their existence seen anywhere. Dead bodies are coming ashore. Every wave brings another body, adding to the sad plight of the people. Most fishermen lost their means of livelihood, losing boats and nets.
Fr. Merlin is there on the spot to render his support to the Local Ordinary in carrying out rescue and relief operations. Two more CM brothers will be joining him. They are trying locally to procure clothes and food materials to meet the immediate needs of the people and also to help to dispose of the corpses.
Fr. Wilson recommends that, as a Vincentian Family, we respond to the situation and express our solidarity with the victims through some rehabilitation work. Since several thousand have been rendered homeless, he thought maybe a building project of at least 100 houses in collaboration with the Local Ordinary could be a good example.
This last matter will be open for further discussion and reflection as soon as the Visitor returns from his visit to the area. Most importantly, we should lift up our hearts and minds in prayer for the victims and the families of the victims in this most devastating destruction that probably has not been seen in this last century or so.
Your brother in St. Vincent,
G. Gregory Gay, C.M.
Superior General
Tags: Disasters
