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Dagua, Valle del Cauca: A Community Wounded by the Earthquake, Sustained by Hope
Dinesh Xalxo, SVD
In Dagua, the municipal seat, the Divine Word Missionary community—comprising four confreres, Arifintus, Benjamin, Hoan, and Serafín—experienced moments of anguish as the ground shook beneath them and cracks appeared in the walls around them.
Two main churches of Our Lady of Remedies Parish suffered severe structural damage. The tragedy also affected places where the community gathers in faith and fellowship. The chapels in several communities, including La María, El Piñal, Santa María, Palmar, Centellas, and Brisas, were severely damaged or destroyed, becoming visible signs of the magnitude of this emergency.
For many residents, the chapel was not simply a building. It was the place where they gathered to celebrate the Eucharist, listen to the Word of God, pray, share their joys, and accompany one another through difficult moments. According to reports, many parish communities were cut off from communication and access for several days.
Today, amid the ruins, a profound question emerges: How do we begin again?
Although the official figures report more than 300 deaths and thousands of homes destroyed nationwide, the recovery process has already begun. Search-and-rescue operations are gradually giving way to reconstruction. Financial assistance and debt-relief measures are helping to ease the burden on affected families, while local communities, religious organizations, and government authorities are working together to rebuild not only physical structures but also the social fabric.
The response cannot be limited to material assistance. Homes, roads, community spaces, and destroyed chapels will need to be rebuilt. But it will also be necessary to restore trust, strengthen relationships, and accompany those who have been emotionally affected by this experience.
At the same time, the tragedy has revealed the solidarity of Colombians and people from other countries. Where a family has lost its home, another hand reaches out to help. Where there is fear, someone offers companionship. Where there are tears, solidarity emerges. Amid the destruction, the community discovers that it is not alone.
The Church and the Divine Word Missionaries are called to remain close to affected families, especially those living in rural communities and remote areas where access and assistance may be more difficult. Our pastoral mission at this moment is to accompany, listen, console, organize assistance, and keep hope alive.
The chapel can be rebuilt. Houses can rise again. Roads can be repaired. But above all, we need to ensure that no family feels forgotten.
This earthquake reminds us of the fragility of human existence and, at the same time, of the greatness of human solidarity. As the Dagua parish community, we are called to walk together: those who have little and those who can share; those who need help and those who can offer it; those who are afraid and those who can offer a word of hope.
Today, Dagua is wounded, but it is not defeated. Amid the ruins, signs of new life are already beginning to emerge. Our faith invites us to look beyond the rubble and trust that, with God’s help and everyone’s solidarity, we will be able to rise again.
May the Lord strengthen every affected family, console those who have lost their belongings, and grant wisdom and strength to all those working in the reconstruction. May our Col-Ven Province and the parish community remain united, and may this painful experience give rise to a more supportive, fraternal, and hopeful community.
The Road to Hope
For Dagua, hope lies in the resilience of its people. The faith that once brought them together in Our Lady of Remedies Parish is now the strength that encourages them to move forward. Despite the pain and losses, the community, the Church, and the authorities are walking together toward a new dawn.
They are not alone. The helping hand of a neighbor, a confrere, and people from across the country is extended to help rebuild what the earthquake has brought down.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” (Psalm 34:19)
Dagua needs help, but it also needs hope. And hope begins when we walk together.
