The earthquake recorded on August 10 in Colombia caused the collapse of the tabernacle of a 17th-century chapel in Roldanillo, in the department of Valle del Cauca, and left several consecrated hosts scattered among the rubble. Parish priest Germán Andrés Clavijo and a religious sister entered the church after the quake to recover the hosts and proceed according to the treatment prescribed by the Church when Eucharistic species are damaged or contaminated.

The incident took place in the Chapel of the Virgin of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá, under the parish of San Sebastián. The priest told ACI Prensa that the wooden tabernacle was destroyed and that the ciborium containing the hosts consecrated at the previous day’s Mass appeared severely damaged.

The consecrated hosts among the rubble

Once the seismic movement had passed, Father Clavijo entered the chapel accompanied by Sister Marcela, of the Community of the Blessed Sacrament. Both went to the place where the tabernacle had stood, which had been knocked down and covered by the remains of the structure.

"I told her: ‘Help me look because the consecrated hosts are in there,’" the priest recounted.

When they located the ciborium, they found it "very, very damaged." Some of the hosts had also broken, so they began carefully collecting the hosts and particles they could recover.

While carrying out this task, the priest and the religious sister prayed the litanies of the Blessed Sacrament and of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The recovered hosts were placed in another ciborium.

Father Clavijo explained that they also poured water over those areas of the rubble where particles that could not be collected might have remained.

The hosts that had become mixed with soil and other debris were placed in a container of water so that the Eucharistic species would cease to subsist. Afterwards, the water had to be disposed of in an appropriate place.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches in number 1377 that "the Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the consecration and lasts as long as the Eucharistic species subsist."

"The Eucharist is the life of the priest"

Clavijo described the moment as especially painful because he was faced with the consecrated hosts scattered on the ground after the destruction of the tabernacle.

"It was very sad," he acknowledged. "The Eucharist is the life of the priest; that is the life of the Church; it is the center of who we are."

Circumstances, however, required swift action. The building had been damaged and there remained the risk of aftershocks while the priest and the religious sister were inside.

"I had to be very strong, because I had to find a solution. It was not the time to lament," Clavijo explained. The priest recalled that the tremor had just occurred and that they feared an aftershock could cause new collapses while they recovered the consecrated hosts.

Two dead and more than a hundred injured

Roldanillo, located approximately 150 kilometers from Cali, was one of the municipalities most affected by the earthquake. Founded in 1576, it preserves numerous historic buildings from the colonial period and the early years of the Republic.

According to the report issued the following day by the Governor’s Office of Valle del Cauca, the earthquake left two dead and 112 injured in the municipality. About 1,300 homes were affected, some completely destroyed, and 60% of the hospital suffered structural damage.

The effects of the quake also reached religious buildings. The parish church of San Sebastián remains closed due to the damage, and Masses have had to be moved to the square.

The Chapel of the Virgin of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá cannot be used either. As a building listed as national heritage, its restoration will depend on the intervention of the competent authorities.

"Lord, save us"

After the earthquake, Clavijo delivered a message to the people of Roldanillo from inside the damaged chapel. The priest expressed his closeness to those who had lost their homes and, especially, to the families of the deceased.

"Amid these ruins that remain, I also want to raise my prayer of hope and encouragement for those who have lost everything, especially those who have lost a loved one," he said.

The parish priest turned to the Gospel passage of Peter walking on the water to urge those affected to keep hope amid the consequences of the earthquake.

"Sometimes we walk on strong winds, turbulent waves; our boat seems to be sinking, but God reaches out to us. Like Peter, we all cry out: Lord, save us."

Clavijo concluded by praying for the affected population and conveying his "voice of encouragement and hope" as Roldanillo begins to face the recovery of homes, public services, and religious buildings damaged by the quake.