When Father Omar Guanchez traveled to Venezuela in May to visit his parents for the first time in eight years, he expected a time of rest and celebration with his family.
With permission from Bishop Patrick Neary to take extra time, he visited friends, celebrated his parents’ 53rd wedding anniversary and even got some needed paperwork done.
It was a good trip … until it wasn’t.
Just five days before he was to return to the U.S. and the parishes he serves in Perham, Dent, Rush Lake and Butler, on June 24, two earthquakes hit Venezuela just 39 seconds apart.
“It happened at 6:04 p.m.,” Father Guanchez said. “I’ll never forget. Mass had just started and I was concelebrating.”
It was the feast of St. John the Baptist, and a friend, Father David Miguel Trujillo Utrera, pastor of Parroquia La Resurrección del Señor in Maracay, had invited him to concelebrate the 6 p.m. Mass at his parish. Because of the feast day, attendance was higher than usual, he said.
“Most of us left the church and went to the parking lot outside, away from the building,” Father Omar said. “Maybe three stayed in church praying, and they didn’t want to run. It was a different reaction.”
“You don’t know how you’re going to react, but your instinct says run for your life,” he added. “That’s what I did. You don’t want to be inside any building when the earth is shaking and there’s an earthquake, so I ran like everybody else.”
News of the earthquakes quickly started hitting newsfeeds in Minnesota. Worried about one of his priests, Bishop Patrick Neary called Father Guanchez as soon as he learned what had happened.
“It was so good just to talk with him and know he was okay,” Bishop Neary said. “And then to just hear his heartfelt compassion for those who had lost loved ones or lost homes or livelihoods … I think he’s got a huge heart, and I think that’s what came through.”
In the parking lot, the Mass attendees were praying and consoling one another, Father Guanchez said. He noted there were people having panic attacks and some just crying.
“Somehow we were organized as we were leaving the church in a hurry,” he described. “It’s a miracle that we ran and nobody tripped and fell.”
Once they determined that everyone was OK, Father Trujillo decided to finish Mass in the parking lot where there is a covered area for gathering,
“I was very distracted at that Mass because I was just waiting to go home and see if my family was OK,” he remembered. “Everybody was in a different place. My sister was grocery shopping and my other sister was with some friends in their house. My dad was taking a nap. My brother-in-law and my nieces were watching a World Cup soccer match and my mom was at a Mass that was just finishing up at San Bartolomé, our family’s home parish.”
According to local news reports, the earthquakes damaged several Catholic churches in Aragua state, including the Cathedral of San José in Maracay, which remains closed due to major structural damage, including cracks in arches, columns and the façade. Masses have been moved to a nearby parish and dozens of other churches in the Diocese of Maracay have also undergone safety inspections.
Father Guanchez was scheduled to depart from Simón Bolívar International Airport in La Guaira, Venezuela’s main international airport on the Caribbean coast. But after the earthquakes damaged roadways and disrupted transportation, the airport was temporarily closed and he was unable to leave the country as scheduled. He didn’t arrive back home until July 6.
Being there waiting for the airports to reopen, Father Guanchez witnessed neighbors helping neighbors in the aftermath of the earthquakes.
“That was beautiful to see, very inspiring,” he said. “People who don’t have a lot were giving to others who now had nothing because they lost their homes. They lost everything under the ruins and the concrete.”
Those who know Father Guanchez say his compassion for those affected by the earthquakes reflects the way he has lived his priesthood.
“Father Omar has a deep spirituality and a deep faith,” said Bishop Neary. “He’s compassionate and loving, and he has a good sense of humor. People feel comfortable around him. They feel loved by him, not judged by him.”
When he first heard of the earthquakes in Venezuela, Deacon Randy Altstadt, who serves with Father Guanchez in the Northern Cross Area Catholic Community, said his thoughts went straight to Father Omar and his family.
“The quakes sounded very devastating on the news and Venezuela is not that big of a country,” Deacon Altstadt said. “I was worried something may have happened to them.”
“Many parishioners were praying for him, his safety and for his family until they found out everyone was alright,” he added.
Father Guanchez said he remembers learning about similar earthquakes that had previously hit Venezuela in 1912 and 1967.
“I hope I don’t see anything like this again in my life,” he said. “I hope we learn from this and build stronger buildings, especially in the parts of the country with sandy soil.”
Father Guanchez believes it will be a long recovery and the people of the Diocese of Maracay and the surrounding area will need help and prayers for a while. His community here stepped up, and in the days after the earthquakes, the Northern Cross ACC collected nearly $8,000 to send to Maracay.
“Prayers go a long way too,” he said. “There were a lot of vigils. I’m sure they are still praying for the victims, those who lost everything. And there were so many people injured. They survived, but now they are recovering.”
Many prayer vigils were held, along with eucharistic adoration and rosaries, Father Guanchez said.
“A lot of prayers were offered at San Bartolomé — and I’m sure all the other parishes did the same thing — in addition to the food drives, water and medicine. It has united the country,” he said. “You know that’s a good thing.”
Father Guanchez said the earthquakes struck differently because they happened in the place he calls home.
“When something like this happens close to home, it hurts in a different way,” he said. “You feel the suffering of the people because they are your people. We live there. We know them.”
While tragedies around the world always bring sadness, he said they feel more personal when they affect our own community.
“When you hear about people suffering in another part of the world, your heart goes out to them,” he said. “It’s sad, but you don’t feel it as close as when it happens right in your own backyard.”
To donate, send checks to: St. Cloud Mission Office, CRS/Venezuela Emergency Relief, 11 – 8th Ave. S., St. Cloud, MN 56301.
Para nosotros fue una gran bendición poder haber estado por lo menos 2 años junto a mí hermano y luego, pasar 2 meses en familia en nuestro país, a pesar de las adversidades vividas, Dios nunca se deja ganar en generosidad! Ojalá nos permita volver a reunirnos siempre. Muy agradecida con el obispo Patrick, la comunidad laical de Long Prairie y Perham, a KLN, y a todas las personas que, de alguna u otra forma nos ofrecieron hospitalidad durante nuestra estadía en los Estados Unidos. Aquí es dónde puedo decir como el Salmo 66; ¡Qué admirables son tus obras Señor.!
For our English-speaking readers: It was a great blessing for us to be able to spend at least two years with my brother and then two months together as a family in our home country; despite the hardships we faced, God is never outdone in generosity! I hope He allows us to always be reunited. I am deeply grateful to Bishop Patrick, the lay communities of Long Prairie and Perham, KLN, and everyone who offered us hospitality in one way or another during our stay in the United States. This is a moment when I can echo Psalm 66: “How wonderful are Your works, O Lord!”