Pope prays for Valencia to its Patron SaintValencia: a church stained with mudTo the muddy ChristThe Prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development of the Vatican, Cardinal Michael CzernyOn Friday and Saturday he visited several areas affected by the DANA, accompanied by the Archbishop of Valencia, Monsignor Enrique Benavent. The visit began in Benetússer, around noon he was in Picaña and Paiporta, in the afternoon he had a meeting with the media in the church of San Jorge de Paiporta, and on Saturday he visited La Torre, also affected in the city of Valencia.
The presence of Cardinal Czerny is a further sign of the concern and closeness shown by Pope Francis since the terrible DANA occurred on October 29, 2024, in which the provinces of Valencia and Albacete have suffered the worst floods of the century, leaving more than 200 people dead and their families devastated in the affected towns and cities.
In the meantime, the Church in Valencia is multiplying its efforts to help The project is aimed at helping those affected, and at the same time reestablishing liturgical acts, such as the celebration of campaign Masses outside the churches and the conversion of parish premises into clinics to attend to those in need.
Parish halls in Aldaia, medical office
Numerous parishes in Valencia and in the areas affected by the DANA are preparing their spaces to meet the most urgent needs, such as the collection and distribution of food, distribution of aid, but also health care, the archdiocese reports.
This is the case of La Anunciación de Aldaia, which has ceded its parish halls to install a medical office, because many of them have been damaged by the flood. As the parish priest, Francisco José Furió, assures, the consequences of this tragedy are going to be terrible, because of the human losses, but also at a material level and at a physical and mental health level.
"People are exhausted, and now they're breaking down. It's going to take a lot of support." That's why the Church "is there to help in whatever is necessary," he adds. For this reason, the parish of La Anunciación de Aldaia has converted this space into a small clinic, where medical care, tests and consultations are being carried out.
The Daughters of Charity take in 30 persons
For their part, the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul of Valencia have taken in about thirty people affected by the DANA, from Catarroja and Massanassa, after offering their facilities, houses and residences to help the victims in this "great emergency".
Clara, a sister belonging to the Daughters of Charity, who have made available to the Administration the free places in their residence for elderly Sisters in Milagrosa Street in Valencia, a total of 27; the headquarters of their social work in Beneficencia Street, and a house with 80 places in Castellnovo, near Segorbe.
Sister Clara assures that these families are receiving all kinds of help, housing, food, and also a lot of spiritual support and thanks "all the generosity of so many people, companies and businesses, who bring us a lot of help and food".
Campaign Masses
According to the archdiocese, the parishes are raising prayers for the victims of the hurricane and yesterday began to celebrate campaign masses in various affected towns, whose churches are still damaged or in the process of being cleaned up due to the floods, or because most of them have become logistic centers for the distribution of basic necessities.
Among the towns that have held campaign masses is Catarroja. The parish of Mary, Mother of the Church, in coordination with the town council, has set up the parish church for the delivery of food, clothing and basic products and is officiating the mass outside.
Samic, Caritas, Valencian parishes
In addition, the Accompaniment and Mediation Service of the Archdiocese of Valencia has launched an accompaniment proposal for the strengthening of Christian communities, especially in the most disadvantaged areas in the aftermath of the DANA.
Caritas recalls in its campaign With the emergency in Valencia', that "hundreds of families have lost everything. We need you to help them rebuild their lives," and in parishes such as St. Josemaría Escrivá, as reported in the archdioceseits Social Center is distributing more than 3,000 food rations in the affected areas: these days, more than 340 volunteers have brought cooked meals in all-terrain vehicles and vans.
Stories like that of Susi MoraSusi, a technician at the José María Haro Foundation of the Valencia Diocesan Caritas, was moved. Susi affirmed: "The first strength was the support that all the neighbors have given us".
