Seminarians in Venezuela have rapidly mobilized to bring material and spiritual aid to thousands of victims in La Guaira, the worst-affected region, following the double earthquake on 24 June, which has caused over 4,400 deaths according to the most recent official figures. Among them is Germán Jiménez, a seminarian from the diocese of Petare, who is currently in the final stage of his formation before being ordained to the priesthood. According to him, this historic tragedy has provided profound pastoral lessons that the future priests will never forget.
Structural impact and the immediate response of Seminarians in Venezuela
On the afternoon of the sisms, Jiménez was studying inside his room at the Saint Rita Seminary in Caracas when the emergency alert sounded on his phone. Recalling those moments, he described the anxiety experienced alongside his classmates to the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN):
“We lived through the earthquake with great anxiety, nerves, and fear. I was studying in my room at the Saint Rita Seminary in Caracas when the alert sounded on his phone and he heard the noise and nervousness of classmates. We ran out of the building, worried about what was happening”.
Hours later, the students witnessed the extensive damage across the cities, noting collapsed churches, civic buildings, and private homes in both Caracas and La Guaira. They immediately offered their services to local parishes and Caritas to assist those left homeless and those looking for their loved ones under the debris. Jiménez has traveled down to La Guaira on three separate occasions to experience the reality first-hand, witnessing people who still hope to find a loved one alive and others who are simply waiting to locate their remains.
The essence of the Church’s mission: being present
Together with his classmates from the Saint Rita Seminary, the young student has distributed food, mattresses, clothes, and essential medicines. However, he emphasized that their true priority has been to ensure that people feel the closeness of the Church through listening, giving a hug, or sharing a smile, experiencing how God makes Himself present in the midst of these structural challenges.
“Although we are not priests, they see us as representing the Church and Christ. For people to embrace us and seek comfort in us is a sign that the Church must be present without publicity or expecting anything in return. It also reminds them that there is a God who loves them, a God who cares for them. The mission is not so much about doing, but about being. The work has been just that – being present among the people and making the Church present in their midst”.
In the midst of widespread pain, Germán finds refuge in the Gospel, drawing strength from the passage where Jesus calms the storm and asks his disciples why they are afraid. “He is in the midst of the storm with us,” he reflected. Furthermore, he noted that the disaster has revealed the deep social solidarity of the population, showing that Venezuelans form one single family, as ordinary neighbors were the very first to run to people’s aid. He views this spontaneous support as a true sign of hope for the future of the nation.
Commissioning Mass and the reality of a «living theology»
The active role played by these future priests reflects the core of the Church’s institutional response. On Sunday, 12 June, the Archbishop of Caracas, Monsignor Raúl Biord, celebrated a formal commissioning Mass for the seminarians who, having finished their academic year, traveled directly to the areas hit by the earthquake to carry out their pastoral experiences. The prelate highlighted the practical importance of this mission:
“This work is going to be hard but is a crucial part of a ‘living theology’. Academic formation is important, but so is direct contact with the suffering and reality of the people, an experience that prepares future priests for their mission of serving those most in need.”
Germán concluded his testimony with an earnest request addressed directly to ACN’s global benefactors:
“I want to ask the Lord to grant us mercy in the midst of these times of difficulty. Venezuela has truly suffered for a long time from so many things, but today, especially, I want to pray that peace and tranquillity may reign in Venezuela, and that His presence may also reign in the midst of everything we are going through.”
To support this pastoral work and attend to immediate material needs, ACN has approved €100,000 in emergency aid for the dioceses of La Guaira and Caracas, aiding both the local victims and the seminarians and priests who accompany them on the ground. Additionally, a delegation from the pontifical foundation visited the affected areas this week as a sign of ecclesial communion and to assess further ways to support rescue and reconstruction efforts on the ground.
