The Order of Augustinian Recollects remains in постоян contact with its communities in the country, where some buildings have suffered material damage, but no casualties have been reported among friars, religious sisters, or collaborators.
The strong earthquakes that shook Venezuela this Thursday, and which according to the first official reports have caused at least 32 deaths and more than 700 injuries, have caused significant damage in different areas of the country and have kept the population on alert due to the ongoing aftershocks.
From the Communications Office of the Order of Augustinian Recollects, contact has been maintained over the last few hours with the communities present in Venezuela to learn first-hand about the situation of the friars, religious sisters, and apostolic works.
The Provincial Vicar of Venezuela, Fr. Eddy Polo, has confirmed that, thanks be to God, all the friars are well, although some properties have suffered damage that will need to be assessed.
“The parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe has not suffered any major damage; the plates have not even moved. However, the San Judas community needs a major structural inspection. We have asked the friars to temporarily leave the building because the structure appears to have weakened,” he explained.
Fr. Eddy also noted that in the community of Christ the King, in Caracas, only pictures and objects fell, with no structural damage. Likewise, he reported that the communities of Barquisimeto, Maracaibo and Táchira have not recorded any significant damage and all the religious are in good condition.
The Provincial Vicar added that the country remains on alert due to the numerous aftershocks recorded after the main quake.
“We are on alert because we have already counted close to thirty aftershocks and it is expected that a stronger one could occur. For now they are mild; the movement is barely noticeable. We hope the number of dead and injured does not continue to rise. This country is not prepared for this type of seismic activity, although we live on two tectonic plates.”
Damage in some communities in Caracas
The director of the Cristo Rey School in Caracas, Fr. Alfredo Sánchez, also confirmed that all the religious communities in the capital are safe.
“The most affected community has been La Pastora, where both the community house and the church show significant damage to the infrastructure. The school also appears to have been affected, although it will be tomorrow when we can make a full assessment,” he said.
The religious explained that they were without electricity for several hours and that it is still not possible to make a definitive assessment of the damage caused by the earthquake.
“All of us friars are well and, for the moment, we are also not aware of any serious incidents among the staff of our schools. We will continue to assess the situation as the day progresses.”
The Augustinian Recollect Sisters of the Heart of Jesus are also well
Sister Gracelia Molina, of the Augustinian Recollect Sisters of the Heart of Jesus, in Los Teques, recounted the moments of anguish experienced during the quake.
“It was horrible. We are still frightened and feeling aftershocks. We ran out with the babies, the children, the older sisters, the Blessed Sacrament.”
Despite the strong emotional impact of the earthquake, she confirmed that all the religious sisters are in good condition.
Dear Augustinian Recollect Family, I ask you to pray for the Venezuelan people after the strong earthquakes that have shaken the country.
Thanks be to God, our brothers and sisters are well, although some of our buildings have suffered damage. #Thread pic.twitter.com/3XdESgwwnJ— Miguel Ángel Hernández (@PriorGeneralOAR) June 25, 2026
Call to prayer from the Prior General
In view of this situation, the Prior General of the Order of Augustinian Recollects, Fr. Miguel Ángel Hernández, asked the entire Augustinian Recollect Family to pray through his official account on X.
“Dear Augustinian Recollect Family, I ask you to pray for the Venezuelan people after the strong earthquakes that have shaken the country. Thanks be to God, our brothers and sisters are well, although some of our buildings have suffered damage. May Our Lady of Coromoto protect Venezuela and sustain all those living through these moments of uncertainty.”
The Order of Augustinian Recollects continues to closely follow the evolution of the emergency and remains in constant contact with its communities to learn about any needs that may arise in the coming hours, as the country faces the consequences of one of the most intense seismic events recorded in recent years.
