As previously noted, no members of the Priests of the Sacred Heart were injured during Chile’s recent earthquakes. However, several SCJ structures were damaged. Fr. Julian Braun, SCJ, provincial superior of the Chilean Province, wrote with a few more specifics about the damage initially reported:
“As far as our works are concerned, I can report the following. In the parish of Santo Cura de Ars there is a large crack which has to be evaluated yet. I do not know whether the damage is structural or superficial. In the Centro Dehon we will have to examine the second floor. In the Fátima parish, the ceiling presents problems: pieces of stucco have come down. However, there is no danger of the ceiling collapsing.
“In the house of the community of San Bernardo there was little damage. In the Instuto Sagrado Corazón in San Bernardo, the oldest part of the building had to be closed for reasons of safety until a more thorough investigation can be made. In the Colegio San Juan Evangelista there was damage in the computer lab where some of the spotlights have fallen down.
“At Sagrado Corazón (a rehabilitation center for those with substance abuse issues) there is no damage. At our main community house there were only superficial cracks.
“This is just a preliminary evaluation; we will have to wait until a more expert analysis can be made of the damage. However, it does not appear that we have suffered irreparable damage.”
