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Rebuild a Parish House Destroyed by an Earthquake in Chile Will you help us rebuild a parish house destroyed by the earthquake that hit Chile in September 2015? We are sure that local faithful will remember you in their grateful prayers. In the 19th century, in Sotaquí, lived an elderly and
very holy woman. Her name was Antonia Pizarro. Having a profound knowledge of
herbal remedies, she was able to help many sick people. One day, as she was on
her way to visit a sick person who lived close to the river Hurtado, she
spotted two children in the distance, herding goats. As she drew closer, she
saw that they were playing with another child, who was almost naked. It was, in
fact, a statue of the Child Jesus. This holy woman took this image of the
Divine Child back to her home in order to pay fitting homage to it. It
presently became the focus of miracles, and in 1873 it was enshrined in the
parish Church of Sotaquí. Devotion to this image became increasingly widespread and more and more people came seeking help through this miraculous “Little Jesus” image. Eventually, in 1898, a new church was built in honor of the Divine Child. Devotion to this image remains very strong today, and in January, around the time of the Epiphany, there is a great four-day festival with processions and traditional dances in honor of the Divine Child. The feast is preceded by a novena in honor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Part of the shrine area includes the old presbytery, which was built in the year 1800. In 1997, it was damaged by an earthquake, but it was the severe earthquake of September 2015 that rendered it completely uninhabitable. The roof timbers, ceiling and several of the walls collapsed, while doors and windows were destroyed. For the time being the parish priest lives in some discomfort in a single room adjoining the church. The Diocese of La Serena, to which Sotaquí belongs, is still facing the massive challenge of repairing and rebuilding 60 churches, chapels and presbyteries that were similarly destroyed or damaged to a greater or lesser extent by the same earthquake. ACN has promised $32,000, so that the parish house in Sotaquí can be rebuilt. Will you help us rebuild this parish house destroyed
by an earthquake in Chile? We are sure the local faithful will remember you in
their grateful prayers.
Aid to the Church in Need commits to invest your funds where they will have the greatest impact for the Church that we serve. Funds donated to Aid to the Church in Need’s projects will be used towards the greatest need in our programs to help keep the Faith alive. |
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Keeping the Faith Alive
