2/23/16 – From Columban Fr. Donal McIlraith, the director of the Columbans in Fiji:
Terrible cyclone, 30 dead and counting, whole villages destroyed. The intensely Catholic village of Nacamaki is where we all have gone to improve our Fijian after doing the initial study in Suva. We usually spent from 6 weeks to 3 months there. It was completely wiped out. Only 4 houses left standing in the entire village. We usually stay with the catechist, Savenaca, in the “Priest’s House” next to the Church. Both Church and priest’s house were destroyed along with the Methodist church and the very fine village hall. Savenaca, the village catechist, and his wife, have nothing left except the clothes they wear. How do you rebuild a whole village? But they will.
The miracle was that nobody was killed. Why? The village- like most Fijian villages- is built on the sea shore. The villagers had carved a football field out of the hillside a hundred meters above the village. They all fled there, huddled together in the wind and rain until it was over- about 6-7 hours and survived. Thank God it happened during the day when people could see where they were going. Had it been night they would all have died. This was only one of the many villages that were hit on beautiful Koro island.
The Columban parish in Ba was badly hit, I believe, but no news yet due to power outage, and I am unable to travel at this time. Our two associate priests are there, Nilton Iman of Peru and John Lee of Korea. It must have been a terrifying experience- their first tropical cyclone. I hear they are fine.
Columban Fr. Donal McIlraith
2/22/16 – Columban Fr. Felisiano Fatu has reported from Fiji that everyone in the formation house is OK in the wake of the devastating storm.
Please keep all those impacted by the storm in your prayers.