By schoenstatt.org editors •
News continues to arrive regarding the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Ecuador which has has killed at least 77 people and injured more than 500. The quake, Ecuador’s largest since 1979, hit at 18:58 on Saturday (23:58 GMT) near the northern town of Muisne.
There is considerable damage to the epicenter area in the province of Manabi in the north of the country, the surrounding areas, and even in distant areas like Guayaquil, where a bridge collapsed, and south of Quito in San Miguel de los Bancos, Manta. The government declared a state of emergency in six provinces: Esmeraldas, Los Rios, Manabi, Santa Elena, Guayas and Santo Domingo.
And we know: In Santo Domingo, Ecuador, there are 25 pictures of the Pilgrim Mother visiting 250 families …
Just a few days ago a Pilgrim Mother Campaign missionary made contact to find out how to organize a covenant day. A few hours before the earthquake he said everything was ready for the first Covenant Day to be held tomorrow in Salinas, a beautiful resort town that an hour and a half from Guayaquil in the coastal province of Santa Elena, which was also affected by the earthquake.
Fr. Eduardo Auza, National Director of Ecuador, summons the whole Schoenstatt family of Ecuador to solidarity, making the four shrines in the country “epicenters of solidarity for Ecuador”.
May not only these shrines of Ecuador, but those all over the become epicenters of solidarity for Ecuador …
Let us pray in our shrines for the victims and all those who now need to help, heal, look for survivors, make decisions …
A few minutes ago, after the Regina Coeli prayer, Pope Francis asked for prayers for the victims of the earthquakes in Japan and Ecuador.
Covenant Solidarity with Ecuador.
