Jul 29, 2026
It is just over a month since the city of Caracas was wracked by huge earthquakes on Wednesday, July 24th. The impact has been devastating, with hundreds of lives lost, and buildings and city infrastructure destroyed.
Br Deiby Fuenmayor MSC has been sending regular updates from Caracas, where he is working alongside Fr John Jennings MSC and a whole team of volunteers and relief workers to provide crucial support to those impacted by the earthquakes. Most recently, Br Deiby sent photos and videos from the shelters and support centres that have been helping thousands of people.
Today, Br Deiby has sent photos and a video message to update us on the current situation in Caracas, as the recovery operation continues. The landscapes in view as he travels show just how catastrophic the earthquakes have been, and the tragic reality for the people of Caracas right now.
“Thank you so much for your support,” Br Deiby writes. “I am right now at the epicenter of the disaster in La Guaira, bringing aid.”
“Here in this shelter, there are 150 people in just this small spot. I am also aware of 12 other temporary camps in the parish of Santa Cruz and its surroundings. Almost 2000 people are receiving aid here.
Thankfully, I have a good team of helpers.”
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have also been working closely with Caritas Venezuela, providing funding to help with the ongoing relief aid. In a message to Irish Provincial Superior Fr Joe McGee MSC, Monsignor José Luis Azuaje Ayala, Archbishop of Maracaibo and Head of Caritas Venezuela, sent his gratitude to the Irish Province of the MSC for the generous support of our benefactors.
We are sincerely grateful for your prayers and support as our Sacred Heart family continue to help the people of Venezuela as they look to rebuilding and repairing for the future.
IF YOU CAN, PLEASE HELP OUR MISSION IN VENEZUELA
Jul 16, 2026
Relief efforts in Venezuela are ongoing in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes of Wednesday, July 24th. The damage has been catastrophic, with the tragic loss of hundreds of lives as well as the destruction of homes and livelihoods across the city.
Br Deiby Fuenmayor MSC has been sending regular updates from Caracas, where he is working alongside Fr John Jennings MSC and a whole team of volunteers and relief workers to provide crucial support to those impacted by the earthquakes. Most recently, Br Deiby sent photos and videos from the shelters and support centres that have been helping thousands of people.
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have also been working closely with Caritas Venezuela, providing funding to help with the ongoing relief aid. In a message to Irish Provincial Superior Fr Joe McGee MSC, Monsignor José Luis Azuaje Ayala, Archbishop of Maracaibo and Head of Caritas Venezuela, sends his gratitude to the Irish Province of the MSC for the generous support of our benefactors here.
Monsignor José Luis Azuaje Ayala, Archbishop of Maracaibo and Head of Caritas Venezuela (Image via www.caritasvenezuela.org)
Dear Fr Joe, warm greetings from Maracaibo.
I wish to express my gratitude on behalf of the people of Maracaibo, who are trying to reach out to the victims of our recent earthquakes. We are very grateful to the Irish Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and to the good people in Ireland, your benefactors, who have provided badly needed funds to help with our relief effort.
We are in full emergency mode at this time. We will keep in touch and let you know later how we have put your funds to good use.
Once again, I thank you most sincerely for the generosity of the Missionaries of the Sacred and their benefactors. May God reward you, and please continue to pray for the people of Venezuela.
Jul 16, 2026
In May, Fr Marcelo Campoverde MSC celebrated a very special Mother’s Day with indigenous communities in Ecuador.
“May was a busy month with various activities and celebrations, but I am especially happy to celebrate Mother’s Day with the local community,” Fr Marcelo writes.
The photos sent by Fr Marcelo show a wonderfully special day, with beautiful cakes shared to celebrate the women of the community.
Thanks to the support of our mission friends and benefactors here at home, we have been able to provide great help in recent years to Fr Marcelo and several indigenous communities in Ecuador. We are very grateful for your ongoing support and friendship as we work to help these communities in real and pressing need.
“We greatly appreciate the help so often provided by the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, and I would like to convey the gratitude of the parish families from afar,” Fr Marcelo says.
IF YOU CAN, PLEASE SUPPORT OUR GLOBAL MISSION PROJECTS
Jul 7, 2026
Relief efforts in Venezuela are continuing in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes of Wednesday, July 24th. With two earthquakes over a magnitude of 7 hitting within a minute of each other, severe damages have been wreaked throughout the city of Carcas, with homes and livelihoods destroyed, and hundreds of lives lost.
Br Deiby Fuenmayor MSC sends regular updates from Caracas, where he is working alongside Fr John Jennings MSC and a whole team of volunteers and relief workers to provide crucial support to those impacted by the earthquakes.
Emergency shelters
In an update on Friday, July 3rd, Br Deiby wrote that he has been visiting the various shelters that are currently in place, with Monsignor José Manuel León, auxiliary bishop of Caracas, and Fr Gerardo Guillén. These temporary shelters have been set up in areas such as car parks and sports courts, to provide urgent care and emergency relief to affected communities.
“The majority of those sheltered in these temporary locations have been forced to leave their homes out of fear of aftershocks or major structural damage,” Br Deiby writes. “These families remain outdoors as a preventive measure, waiting for the authorities to carry out the necessary technical inspections to verify if their homes are fit and safe for their return.”
Two official shelter facilities have been set up within the Santa Cruz parish, which will house about 800 people from La Guaira State who have tragically lost everything. “They have lost their homes, their belongings, and, in many cases, family members, leaving them in a situation of total vulnerability,” Br Deiby explains.
“Support teams are visiting shelters daily, distributing basic supplies, food, and the necessary assistance to meet their day-to-day needs in the midst of this crisis.”
A letter from Br Deiby
In a letter to Irish Provincial Superior Fr Joe McGee MSC, dated Monday, July 6th, Br Deiby sent our most recent update.
“I am writing to inform you that, so far, the Parish of the Holy Cross and our support centre continue to provide direct aid to almost 2000 people. We are visiting the parking lots and designated shelter areas daily, monitoring for safety, as well as the three large refuge camps already set up.
Currently, we have begun a vital programme of humanitarian, spiritual, and psychological support. We have several people on board specialising in these different areas, and, from July 12th to August 3rd, we will be supported by between five and six seminarians from the archdiocese in recreational and sacramental activities together with neighbouring parishes and auxiliary bishops. We also continue to support those centres outside our jurisdiction with medicines, mattresses, and clothing, working alongside the Archdiocese and Caritas to help those that we can.
We thank God that people of goodwill and great faith continue to support with us food, medicines, medical supplies, and everything they have within their reach. We are very grateful for the compassion and generosity of Sacred Heart benefactors who are helping us through the Mission Office in the Irish Province also. Today, I will be taking part in a meeting of the emergency committee of the Archdiocese of Caracas to coordinate new strategies. We greatly appreciate your financial support and prayers, as this process of relocation and recovery will last for several months.
God bless you always. We will continue to keep in touch.”
Grateful for generous hearts
Br Deiby has also sent a video update, to give us a short glimpse into how the aid work is progressing. Please see below for an English transcript of the video commentary.
On the morning of Thursday, July 2nd, the Auxiliary Bishop Elect of Caracas José Manuel Leon, together with the Vicar for Pastoral Ministry, Fr Ricardo, and Bro Deiby Fuenmayor MSC, made a pastoral visit to the refugees in the eastern part of Caracas to accompany, console and understand the reality of the difficulties being faced by each community in the wake of the earthquake.
Bishop José: This is a situation which certainly merits our attention, meeting our brothers and sisters who have been deeply affected and those who need our support and help.
Br Deiby: We are here to support those who have been so affected by this terrible earthquake. The people living here, have not lost their lives as a result of the quake, thank God, but they have lost their homes. We have visited about a thousand or so people, assessing the situation and bringing them the help that you have been supplying with such generous hearts.
We have also been in Pro Patria this morning. There is a team of a hundred or more people providing support at the shopping centre there, and there is also a refuge centre which has already welcomed about 100 people from La Guaira and expects to welcome about another 300 tomorrow and the day after.
Here in this zone, there are about 500 people who are all supporting each other, and receiving help from the Archdiocese support teams.
Bishop José: What we are trying to do is reconstruct lives with faith, hope, and love. We are beginning the reconstruction with faith, because what remains now is such a huge challenge. The attention that we can give to these brothers and sisters, our love and care, is so important, not only in a practical and material way, but also in a spiritual way, making them part of our family, part of ourselves… This is the challenge we are embracing as an Archdiocese. May God bless each and everyone.
Jun 30, 2026
On Wednesday, June 24th, the city of Caracas, Venezuela, was devastated by two earthquakes following each other in under a minute. Our latest correspondence from Venezuela comes from Brother Deiby Fuenmayor MSC, who is working alongside Fr John Jennings MSC (originally from Cork), in the parish of Propatria, in Caracas. This is located on the outer regions of the area affected by last week’s earthquakes, and while the aftershocks are still being felt, the structural damage has not been as severe as it is in more central areas. In Propatria, Fr John, Br Deiby, and their parishioners are working to help those suffering in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, with extremely limited resources.
Fr John is working to provide spiritual support to the local community, while Br Deiby explains that he is “fully committed to coordinating the social area” as donations of food and clothing are distributed to families in urgent need. (Read Br Deiby’s full letter below.)
Irish Provincial Superior Fr Joe McGee MSC is keeping in close contact with our MSC brothers in Venezuela, as we monitor the situation and work on providing financial aid to assist with the immediate emergency response. “I have been to Propatria several times,” says Fr Joe, “and I know that the people there have very, very little. Now, we are seeing these people, who have so little, helping people who have less than nothing.”
“I am reminded of the story of the widow’s mite (Mark 12:41–44 and Luke 21:1–4), where a poor widow gave two small coins, all she had to live on, as an offering at the temple. To Jesus, her gift was greater than all the larger contributions, as it represented so much more than financial value, but real sacrifice and total, unreserved faith in the Lord’s love.”
“Here, the people of Propatria are doing all that they can to help others who have less than nothing. Our men on the ground are doing their best to help these people help their own people, and we are so very grateful for your invaluable support, prayers, and contributions. Thank you.”
Here, you can read Br Deiby’s full letter to Fr Joe, dated Monday, June 29th:
Dear Father Provincial,
Present.—
Receive a cordial greeting, trusting in the Lord that you are well.
The purpose of this letter is to inform you about the complex current situation we are experiencing in Venezuela, particularly in Caracas and La Guaira. We want to report that it has been a weekend of intense work. Our parish headquarters has become a collection center and, thanks to God and to the men and women of faith and goodwill who trust the parish and the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, we have received numerous donations. As you know, we do not have our own MSC resources, so all this work is being sustained thanks to the immense generosity of the people. Along with this letter, I will send you some images of what has been collected, although it is worth noting that a large part of these supplies has already been distributed to the different centers. Hand in hand with the laity of the Chevalier family, we are visiting different spaces where refugees are located, such as sports courts and public parks. Yesterday we managed to assist 117 families and 40 children, delivering medicines, diapers for adults and children, toys, candies, non-perishable food, and other basic necessities, providing them, above all, with our accompaniment and listening. For this afternoon, we have scheduled a visit to a place that shelters 500 people (including 100 adults and 180 children) to assess their urgent needs, listen to them, and see how we can continue to help. Thanks to the valuable support of the laity, we are carrying out this work. Father Juan Jennings is 100% dedicated to sacramental care, while myself, as a religious brother, am fully committed to coordinating the social area.
On the other hand, we inform you that the airport infrastructure is completely out of service due to severe damage, a situation that will remain until further notice. Both domestic and international commercial flights are suspended, which greatly hinders the transport of supplies and aid by air. Currently, the runway only operates for strictly humanitarian flights coordinated Page 1by the government with other countries. Added to this logistical situation is a strong structural alert, as frequent seismic movements are being registered in the area. Yesterday a 5.5 earthquake was felt, and this morning, at 7:00 a.m., another 5.1 magnitude one was registered. Due to this, at 8:00 a.m. today, we received a visit from two trusted bricklayers from the parish to assess the damage. They inspected the existing fissures and cracks in the areas you already know (the temple entrance, the sacristy, the oratory, the small hall, the multi-purpose hall, and the offices). Although initially these are small and shallow fissures and cracks, the specialists suggest and recommend taking action as soon as possible, since the continuity of the earthquakes could deepen the damage and generate a major structural problem.
With a view to coordinating the Church’s actions in the face of this panorama, tomorrow, Tuesday, we will attend a meeting called by the Archbishop of Caracas, which will include the participation of pastors, vicars, male and female religious, and brothers who provide service in the communities. The objective is to listen to the diocesan guidelines and together design strategies for the coming weeks and months. We are preparing well in advance for the imminent shortage and lack of supplies ahead, seeking the best ways to respond effectively to the needs of our people and our refugee brothers and sisters.
Despite the adversities and risks, we remain firm in the mission, trusting in providence and in the solidarity of our community. We thank you in advance for your constant guidance and your prayers for us, for our infrastructure, and for our people. We remain entirely at your disposal.
Cordially and fraternally in the Heart of Jesus,
HOLY CROSS PARISH / MISSIONARIES OF THE SACRED HEART
BR. DEIBY FUENMAYOR MSC
A prayer for Venezuela from Fr John Fitzgerald MSC:
Jun 25, 2026
Two devastating earthquakes occurred in Caracas, Venezuela, on the evening of Wednesday, June 24th. Many people have lost their lives and many others have been seriously injured, while homes and buildings have been destroyed. While it is impossible to know the full extent of the destruction caused by the earthquakes at this point, we are very grateful that our missionaries are safe, and we ask that you please join us in keeping the people of Caracas in your prayers.
Irish Provincial Superior Fr. Joe McGee MSC shares a letter following Wednesday’s tragic events, while Brother Deiby Fuenmayor MSC writes to us directly from Venezuela.
A letter from Fr. Joe
“Tragically and regrettably, devastating earthquakes occurred in Venezuela on the evening of June 24th. Many lives have been lost and homes destroyed. We have several missionaries both Venezuelan and Irish working in Maracaibo and in Caracas. Thankfully, our missionaries in Caracas or their local parishes have not been directly impacted, with the same devastation as other parts of the city. As the earthquake occurred, they were able to evacuate the parish church where Mass was taking place. All escaped without harm. We will keep in regular contact with our missionaries and will offer assistance from our Irish resources as the situation unfolds.”
~ Fr Joe McGee MSC, Irish Provincial Superior
A letter from Br Deiby
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
We are addressing you following the strong 7.1 magnitude earthquake recorded in our capital today, June 24, at 6:05 p.m., which was followed 40 seconds later by a 7.5 magnitude aftershock.
Fortunately, and thanks be to God, the infrastructure of our church, the parish house, and the halls did not suffer major damage, reporting only small cracks that are easy and inexpensive to restore. However, we deeply regret the total collapse of many homes, buildings, and sister churches across the city.
We would like to highlight that during the emergency, the faithful evacuated our church in an orderly and civic manner, allowing Father Juan Jennings, MSC, to lead a prayer of strength outside.
Tomorrow we will continue with prayers, holy hours, celebrations of the Word, and the Holy Eucharist. We will pray for the eternal rest of the deceased, the prompt recovery of the injured, and the protection of those leading the rescue efforts: Civil Protection, police, military, medical personnel, and volunteers of good will.
“Let us pray to the Lord for those affected by the strong earthquake that caused loss of life, for their eternal rest”
Finally, we inform you that both Father Juan Jennings and myself, Brother Deiby Fuenmayor, MSC, are doing well. We remain on alert and with great caution, as more than 20 aftershocks have been registered and new tremors that could exceed magnitude 5 are forecast for the coming hours.
Let us remain united in prayer and solidarity.
† Fraternally in Christ,
Brother Deiby Fuenmayor, MSC
A Prayer from Fr John Fitzgerald here at Sacred Heart Church Cork
