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Parishioners at a Peekskill church are pitching in to assist the victims of an earthquake back home in Ecuador.
Assumption parish and the Peekskill Hispanic Community worked together to collect 15 tons of supplies and ship them with assistance from the Ecuador Consulate in Manhattan to the people affected by the earthquake in Ecuador on April 16.
“We’re supporting one another as a church community. When one member suffers, we lock arms and support one another,’’ said Father John Higgins, pastor of Assumption parish, which has 1,000 families with Ecuadorean connections.
“(Ecuador is) a country of tremendous faith. It’s 95 percent Catholic. Many churches were knocked down by the earthquake, but response to help has also been provided by the church.”
Cardinal Dolan donated $35,000 to Catholic Relief Services on behalf of the Archdiocese of New York on April 21 to assist the victims of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that devastated coastal communities in Ecuador. The earthquake left 654 dead, 12,500 injured, 58 missing and more than 25,000 living in shelters as of April 24. President Rafael Correa said the earthquake caused $3 billion in damage.
“We do not have family members in that sector, but if …we have friends who have lost their homes and property, we were saddened by it because we hurt as compatriots and they are human beings like us,” said Assumption Church Deacon Carlos Campoverde, a native of Ecuador.
Assumption parish collected supplies and money at its monthly Mass devoted to Our Lady of Cisne on April 19 and held a series of sales at the conclusion of Sunday Mass for the victims.
“As Christians, we are called to be caring and to offer and to sensitize the deeper meaning of the charity and act with the will of Christ, being the living presence of the Gospel. For this reason, our parish designed a plan of action (to collect supplies and raise money),” said Deacon Campoverde, a Peekskill resident for 17 years.
“Many thanks to all the holy people of God for the reception and generosity to our brothers and victims of the earthquake there on my dear Ecuador.”
Father Higgins said the monthly Spanish-language Mass drew 450 people, triple its normal attendance. Auxiliary Bishop Peter Byrne, representing Cardinal Dolan, was the principal celebrant of the Mass.
“Our love and prayers for those suffering from the devastating earthquake in Ecuador are strong. They need our prayers! That’s why it is so good that you gather this evening for the greatest of prayers, Holy Mass, offered for Ecuador,” Cardinal Dolan said in his letter that was vigorously applauded by the congregation at Assumption Church.
Ramon Fernandez, president and founder of the Peekskill Hispanic Community, said efforts will continue to assist Ecuador.
“This all came together so quickly with a quick response from the people,” he said. “We had 18 people here (on April 22) helping us collect and pack the supplies. People were calling us at 8:30 at night to stay later because they wanted to drop off donations.”
