By Eileen Connelly, OSU
As Hurricane Beryl blew through Jamaica on July 3-4, it left behind many toppled trees and debris but no injuries. Br. Jim Bok, OFM, said he, Br. Tim Lamb, OFM, and Br. Maxwell Klug, OFM, who is filling in temporarily while Br. Colin King, OFM, is spending part of the summer studying at the University of Notre Dame, heard the wind pick up, heavy rains begin and loud cracking as trees fell on the grounds of Mary, Gate of Heaven Church and the friary in Negril.
“We lost electricity, cell phone service, and initially had no ability to communicate at all,” said Br. Jim. A small generator, courtesy of Br. Colin, enabled the friars to keep some food cold in their freezer and their phones charged. Water was also lost, but the friars had a large tank on the side of their house that was full at the time, although the pump wasn’t working.
Power was restored at the church and friary 10 days after the hurricane, but many of the people the friars serve are still without electricity and are struggling to deal with wind and water damage to their homes.
“Many people live in small shacks basically made of plywood, so when their roofs blew off, there was damage to furniture, mattresses and appliances. We’ve had a lot of people coming and asking for help, especially with food,” Br. Jim said, noting that one of their trucks had just gone into Montego Bay on July 17 to pick up a load of food and supplies for the friars to distribute. “There is ongoing suffering, so they will need our help and prayers.”
Many schools and homes were damaged and are now in dire need of repair. There is a race against the clock to repair schools before school begins in September. The Franciscan Relief Fund plans to collect donations to help make the necessary repairs so that families can find some normalcy. More information will be available in mid-August.
Strong winds peeled back part of the roof on the church, exposing the plywood.