Earthquake in the Philippines

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck central Philippines on October 15, killing more than a hundred people, leaving hundreds injured and damaging properties including centuries old churches and historical landmarks in Cebu and Bohol.

Good Shepherd Sisters, apostolic and contemplatives, in Banawa Hills, are safe. Sr. M. Edna Fuentes, local leader of Villa Maria in Cebu, said, two residences have been damaged-- the Good Shepherd Recovery Center in Liloan, Cebu and St. Mary Euphrasia Training Center
in Laray, Cebu. She wrote, "for the past 2 nights, the girls and staff in both
residences slept outside, on tents, in the open space.

Sr. Felice Maningo said, that a third building the Maria Droste Training Center was also damaged. The girls were afraid to go to their dorms and several were traumatized by the earthquake and succeeding aftershocks. Sr. Edna wrote that on Oct 16, the Structural
Engineers declared the residences
safe after evaluation and the girls are busy cleaning their
respective residences. It's a blessing that all the girls and staff are
safe and only minor repairs are needed in both residences." Villa Maria Convent and
Maryhills Residence, Good Shepherd Seminar House, GS Bakeshop
in Banawa and GS Welcome House in downtown Cebu are okay.

Villa Maria
Community is grateful for all the prayers.

The earthquake struck at 8:15 a.m. and was felt in Bohol, Cebu, other provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao. The national papers reported that as of October 17, about 150 died and hundreds were injured because of the earthquake. Most of those killed were hit by falling trees, old fences and slabs. 

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that 20 bridges were impassable in Bohol, and four roads were closed to traffic.A 17th century stone church in Loboc town in Bohol crumbled to pieces, the bell tower of the centuries old Sto. Nino (Holy Child) Church in Cebu collapsed. Parts of the chocolate hills were damaged and its viewdeck destroyed.Sr. M. Cecilia Torres who was in the Bicol region for a meeting immediately tried to contact Cebu and was assured that sisters and the girls were safe.

Sr. Brigid Lawlor sent a message of assurance of prayers for the Filipino people especially the earthquake victims, the sisters and the girls and women under our care. Sr. Jude Ellen Golumbieski, link councilor of the contemplatives, who was in Cebu several months ago also wrote to express her solidarity in prayers.

Sr. Guadalupe Bautista who is in South Korea to facilitate the chapter of Northeast Asia province sent email and offered prayer, while Sr. Theresia Tjan of Indonesia and Sr. Lourdes Fabia of the Philippines who are attending the session for province link persons to tha Asia Pacific spirituality committee phoned to ask about the situation. 

Sisters and staff who have relatives and families in the affected areas sent text messages that though their families were affected by the earthquake they are safe and the damages in properties were minimal. Sr. Edna is grateful for the prayers and sends these photos taken by Sr. Elizabeth Aragon, a temporary professed sisters from Nicaragua, who is in Cebu for her apostolic experience.
 

The Good Shepherd Sisters of the Philippine Province have  sent contributions to those affected by the earthquake.