Fr Michael visits Venezuela: News from Caracas - Missionaries of the Sacred Heart

On the first leg of his trip to Venezuela, Fr Michael has been visiting the city of Caracas, where the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have two houses, the Casa Misionere and the parish house in Santa Cruz.

Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, MSC Missions, Misioneros del Sagrado Corazon, MSCs in Venezuela, MSCs in Maracaibo, Maracaibo Venezuela, missionary work in Venezuela, MSCs in Caracas, missionary work in Caracas, missionary work in Maracaibo, Fr Michael O’Connell MSC, Fr Michael O’Connell Cork, Fr John Jennings MSC, Nicolas Maduro, president of Venezuela, Venezuela crisis

Fr Michael brought with him a suitcase full of donated toiletries and basic hygiene products, and distributed some of these items after Mass in Santa Cruz. The gifts were very warmly received, as inflation in Venezuela has sent the cost of necessities rocketing. A packet of baby wipes costs 3,900 Venezuelan bolívars, and toiletries such as soap and shampoo are similarly priced – an astronomical amount when you take into account that up until the middle of January, the average monthly wage was just under 5,000 bolívars.

Fr John Jennings MSC distributes the gifts of toiletries that Fr Michael brought with him on his visit to Caracas.

Fr Michael brought gifts of toiletries and basic hygiene products, which were warmly received by families in Santa Cruz, Caracas.

The value of the bolívar has fluctuated wildly, even in the space of the first week of Fr Michael’s visit. “When I arrived on Friday, January 4th, the average wage of 5,000 bolívars was worth USD $7 on the black market,” says Fr Michael. “A week later, on Friday, January 11th, the same 5,000 bolívar wage was worth just USD $2. A big loaf of bread costs 1,200 bolívars, a kilo of cheese costs 3,000 bolívars, and 24 eggs cost 6,000 bolívars – so forget having an egg every day when the average wage is just under 5,000 bolívars a month.”

During Fr Michael’s stay in Caracas, the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, announced that the minimum wage would be increased to 18,000 bolívars per month in order to combat the struggles that the people of Venezuela are facing because of inflation. This change came into effect from January 15th, and it is hoped that it will help local people to regain some quality of life following recent struggles.

Here are some pictures of the Mass at which Fr Michael distributed the gifts. Fr John Jennings MSC, originally from Cork, Ireland, blesses the congregation, and locals give each other a very warm and enthusiastic sign of peace!

Fr John Jennings MSC blesses the congregation in Santa Cruz, Caracas.

The church was beautifully decorated for the Christmas season.

A very enthusiastic sign of peace during the Mass!

Following his stay in Caracas, Fr Michael will next visit MSC parishes in Maracaibo, where Irish MSCs first began their work in Venezuela over 50 years ago. Be sure to check back for more updates as he continues on his travels.

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS

Find out more about our missionary outreach in Venezuela

Read about Fr Joseph McGee’s trip to Venezuela in 2017