Rains in Mexico: Priest says there is hope despite the devastation

After the rains that devastated central and eastern Mexico, Father Lorenzo Rivas, one of those affected by the disaster, highlighted that, despite the tragedy, “there are hopeful signs that we are going to move forward.”

The intense rainfall caused by tropical storms Raymond and Priscilla left a trail of destruction in much of the country, especially in the states of Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo, Querétaro and San Luis Potosí. According to the federal governmentAs of October 17, 72 people have died and 29 are missing.

Veracruz has been the hardest hit state, with 33 dead and hundreds of families who have lost everything. The tragedy reached its most critical point in Poza Rica, in the north of the state, when during the early hours of October 10, the Cazones River overflowed with uncontrollable force.

Among the witnesses that night is Father Lorezno Rivas, parish priest of the María Inmaculada church, one of the four parishes affected by the disaster in the Diocese of Papantla.

The priest told ACI Prensa that, around three in the morning, the sound of the alarm from the local oil plant alerted the neighbors of the imminent danger. The water “came like a black wave” and “people ran away in terror.”

They were moments of anguish, he says, but the worst came later, when he saw the streets under water, things covered in mud and paths obliterated.

Father Rivas knows of the case of two of his parishioners who lost their lives. One of them, the sacristan of a chapel “ran away and went to look for his mother. He thought that (his mother) was in a shelter and they found her buried under tons of mud.”

He remembers that another parishioner “was swept away by the current. His wife didn’t know where he was, she went looking for him and they also found him buried under tons of mud.”

Since then, the days in Poza Rica are of incessant work: removing mud from the temples, distributing groceries and helping to rescue the little that remains.

Signs of hope

The Bishop of Papantla, Bishop José Trinidad Zapata Ortiz, has toured the most affected areas, visiting parishes and victims. in a video He regretted the situation that remained in the region but also highlighted solidarity.

Bishop Zapata reported that, during his journey to the affected area, he observed numerous vehicles with food and clothing, as well as stands where people distributed food and aid to the victims. He encouraged the faithful not to stop the help: “we need to lift up these brothers.”

“Our charity is very urgent and necessary at this time, we hope that today we are aware that the goods we have have a universal destination,” he added.

The priest highlighted the solidarity of neighboring communities and other regions that have arrived with shovels, buckets and supplies to support the cleaning and distribution of food, in an area where communication has barely been reestablished.

Father Rivas also assured that “the material losses are many. I have seen my neighbors crying hugging each other because they lost everything.” Despite this, “there are hopeful signs that we are going to move forward.”

The priest finally acknowledges that there is “a lot of destruction, a lot that needs to be rebuilt, but thank God we are alive here and I think it is good news in the midst of so much sadness.”