Once it is confirmed that the number of victims from the floods in Spain exceeds one hundred – at least 158 – a word of hope emerges among the mud and sadness from the Catholic Church: “This is the great opportunity to love,” it encourages. a Valencian parish priest.
Father Salvador Pastor is parish priest of Nuestra Señora de Gracia in La Torre, a popular neighborhood in the city of Valencia where eight bodies were found this morning in a garage.
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In a telephone conversation with ACI Prensa, the priest explains that the church and its facilities have been affected like everyone else: “In the parish we easily have two palms of clay in the temple, sacristy, premises, Cáritas, patio, everything. Everything is flooded. We don’t have electricity. In short, it is precarious, very precarious.”
Despite everything, discouragement is not evident in his voice. Beyond faith, this is influenced by the large group of volunteers who have come to the place to remove the mud and clean the place as much as possible to be able to welcome those in need.
“We are trying to free up spaces to be able to serve at Cáritas, which is our thing,” to serve “all the people who in these moments of sudden and unexpected situation need any help and collaboration,” he says. But the reality, less than 48 hours after the Isolated Depression at High Levels (DANA), is difficult: “First we have to make the spaces we have work, because they are completely flooded.”
As soon as possible, they will be able to collect food, basic clothing and whatever is necessary. “But at this moment we don’t even get there because we ourselves are collapsed.”
How to face the situation with hope? Father Salvador does not hesitate in his response: “We Christians know well that great crises, if we live them with the Lord, are always great opportunities.”
That is why he is convinced that “this is the great opportunity to love, it is the great opportunity to be sensitive, to add, to live the experience that we all need each other and the Lord in the middle. A situation as critical as this is the great opportunity,” he points out.
The least affected communities, meanwhile, are mobilizing. This is explained by Father Óscar García, parish priest of Santiago Apóstol, in Valencia, detailed by ACI Prensa: “Diocesan Caritas have already begun to collect belongings, food, etc. Our parish is also going to do something.”
Volunteers and priests cleaning mud
Olivia Pérez, from Cáritas of the Archdiocese of Valencia, explains to ACI Prensa how, for the moment, it is the assistance network of parishes and towns “that is doing everything it can” in the midst of the chaos caused by the floods.
“We know that there are priests cleaning mud and volunteers who are affected at the same time.” The latter accompany their neighbors by “supporting them, listening to them” and at the same time “managing their own losses and their own realities and situations.”
Given that only a few hours have passed since the mud-filled waters flooded entire neighborhoods and towns, leaving a trail of destruction and death in their wake, Cáritas’ action is summarized in two actions:
“On the one hand we are evaluating, knowing the needs. This way we can in a second moment prioritize the most urgent needs and begin to act,” explains Pérez.
As for the help that is being requested, at the moment it is limited to the economic: “We do not have the logistical capacity to store, but neither do we have the capacity to take anything anywhere.”
The easiest way to get help is through their website, where they have enabled a specific fundraising campaign.
The response is not long in coming: “We are overwhelmed by the situation and, at the same time, by the number of people who are offering themselves from all over to support people who have lost everything,” confides the spokesperson for Cáritas Valencia.
The aid collected now will be important to care for those affected over the months, since the first very urgent needs are being covered by public administrations: “Our role will be, later, in a second moment, to be next to people, listen to them, provide them with psychological and emotional support and accompany them in whatever they may need,” which includes economic matters.
To face a situation of these dimensions, the experience of Cáritas Española is key, which has recently worked in similar scenarios such as that caused by the La Palma volcano in the Canary Islands or the fires in the province of Zamora.
Holy Rosary for the victims of the tragedy
The Basilica of the Virgin of the Forsaken will host this Thursday afternoon (Spanish time) the prayer of the Holy Rosary in suffrage for the victims of the cold drop presided over by the Archbishop of Valencia, Mons. Enrique Benavent.
On the other hand, the Archbishop held an extraordinary meeting with the Episcopal Council, the governing body of the Archdiocese, in which episcopal vicars from the least affected areas participated.
The Virgin of the Forsaken, in mourning
The original image of the Virgin of the Forsaken located on the main altar of the basilica wears black crepe as a sign of mourning for the deceased.
“The black crepe, placed on the mantle of the patron saint of Valencia, is located under the Child Jesus held by the Virgin, and symbolizes her mourning for her deceased children and for all those who suffer the consequences of this catastrophe,” details a note from the archbishopric.
The black fabric bow with rhinestones with which the crepe has been made was made by the Chambermaid of the Virgin of the Forsaken, María Dolores Alfonso, during the COVID pandemic, and “represents everything that our Mother of God that always welcomes us, above all, so many people who have died and so many affected families,” as the author pointed out.
Mobilization in Cáritas Albacete
Although the most serious thing happened in Valencia, the tragedy spread to other Spanish dioceses such as Albacete. Specifically, in the town of Letur he has strongly felt the impact of pain.
In the small town of Letur there are still five people missing and the death of an elderly woman has already been confirmed.
Rosa García, director of Cáritas Albacete, tells ACI Prensa how in the town “the power lines are down, there are flooded and destroyed buildings, houses and businesses have been lost.”
The restaurant of the social insertion project of the community has also been damaged. The Sower Foundationpromoted by Cáritas de Albacete. “At the moment you can’t go there,” explains García, who is aware that recovering normality will take several years of effort.
But more immediately, they also collect funds through your website.
Also in Cáritas of the Diocese of Segorbe-Castellón, suffragan of the Archdiocese of Valencia, they are closely following the evolution of events. Marisa Villaroig explains to ACI Prensa that they are living hectic hours:
“Here we are, crazy, with all the communications, activating the emergency, very aware of the situation in the diocese, although at the moment we do not have to regret serious consequences, but we are on red alert,” he points out.
The religious donate 30,000 euros to Cáritas Española
For its part, the Conference of Religious of Spain has decided to send a donation of 30,000 euros through Spanish Caritas to help those affected by the situation. Furthermore, he has asked “all religious congregations to join in prayer and collaborate in everything possible through the diocesan Caritas or other institutions” of the Catholic Church.
“Amazed and concerned by the situation, the CONFER regrets the suffering of the people and asks the Lord to help them in this time of great difficulty. Furthermore, ask that the light of Jesus of Nazareth illuminate everyone, especially the rulers, to continue supporting those who have lost their relatives and financially helping those who have lost their property,” they detail in a statement.
Pope Francis called the Archbishop of Valencia, expressing his closeness to the victims
Pope Francis spoke by telephone with the Archbishop of Valencia (Spain), Mons. Enrique Benavent, and expressed his closeness especially to the victims and their families.
In the context of praying the Rosary in the Basilica of the Virgin of the Forsaken for the victims of the DANA, this October 31, Bishop Benavent said that “the Holy Father, Pope Francis, has telephoned me personally to inquire about the situation we are experiencing.”
“I have told him some details that we have learned and he told me that the more he sees the news and the images, the more impressed he becomes,” he said.
The Archbishop of Valencia also said that Pope Francis asked him “to express his closeness to everyone, especially to the victims, to their families, to those who are suffering so much pain.”
The prelate then thanked the Pope for “these details that he is having with us and his concern to follow the situation that we are experiencing,” and said that he informed the Holy Father “that we were going to meet in prayer in the Basilica of the Virgin, which He already visited as archbishop of Buenos Aires at the World Meeting of Families”, which was held in Valencia in 2006.
The Holy Father “has assured me that he is spiritually united to our prayer,” said the Archbishop of Valencia.
Update: The words of the Archbishop of Valencia regarding the telephone call from Pope Francis have been added and the official death toll has been updated.
Nicholas de Cardenas
Born in 1980, I am a Spanish husband and father and journalist with more than 20 years of experience in print and digital media, specializing in sociopolitical and religious information. I have worked for more than 10 years in defense of human rights and have accreditations in Journalism and Comprehensive Communication. Since July 2022, I have been a correspondent for ACI Prensa and EWTN Noticias in Spain, covering international events of the Catholic Church.