La Soufriere Volcanic Eruption on St. Vincent

The eruption of La Soufriere volcano on the eastern Caribbean Island of Saint Vincent began with a series of small earthquakes and tremors and peaked with an eruptive explosion on Friday, April 9, 2021 at 8:41 a.m. Subsequent explosions happened on Saturday with the largest occurring in the early morning hours of Monday, April 12.  The eruption was like uncorking a bottle of champagne; hot rocks, ash, gas, and steam exploded upward and outward moving north.  All around the mountain you witness volcanic mudflow pouring down gullies. The scale of the eruption and the blast zone are documented in a series of images captured by NASA satellites and you can view the devastation on the internet.

The government of Saint Vincent issued a red alert early, and the Emergency Operations Center started mandatory evacuations on Thursday in the red zone near the volcano.  People were sent to shelters and even to nearby islands outside the danger zone.

Empty cruise ships arrived on Friday to help transport the thousands of people who evacuated their homes under the fiery glow of La Soufriere volcano. Two Royal Caribbean cruise ships and two Carnival cruise ships began boarding to transport those who needed shelter outside the danger zone.

With the current healthcare concerns created by the coronavirus, those people sheltering away from the island of St. Vincent needed to be vaccinated.  Emergency services from the World Health Organization is addressing those concerns.

Our Redemptorists Missionaries, Father Kevin Murray and Brother Gerard St. Hilaire, who minister to the 16,000 people who live in the red zone in the region of Sandy Bay and Georgetown (on the northeastern side of the island), have received shelter with Bishop Gerard County of the Diocese of Kingstown in the south western corner of the island.  They are safe and are worried about the faithful.  Please pray for all involved in this emerging crisis.

The Redemptorists minister to and serve the people of Sandy Bay, the region where our Missionaries work closely with the Garifuna.  Recently, through the generosity of many donors, a grant of $125,000 was provided to expand the local bakery, to open a retail market for the sale of food and household goods, to open a local take-out pizza place, and to create an open-air pavilion for community events such as the selling of local fruits and vegetables.

The project funded by donors of the Redemptorists created the economic stimulus that was intended to build a strong and thriving community in Sandy Bay.  The capital needed for these changes focused on the development of jobs for the local Garifuna people, on a place to sell and by goods, but most of all, on the hope that moved them toward self-sufficiency. The building used for worship in Sandy Bay has extensive damage to the roof.  At this time, the Redemptorists do not have any additional information on the damage that has been experienced. We are aware that Sandy Bay is in direct area of impact created by the eruption of the volcano.

If you would like to help the people to rebuild their lives as they return home, please contact Mission Advancement at [email protected] for ways you can help.

We turn to you and ask for your financial support so that we may provide basic needs; water, food, clothing, and blankets to be given to the people as they return home to start rebuilding their life.  Please pray for our Missionaries, Father Kevin Murray and Brother Gerard St. Hilaire, as they minister to those who suffer and have lost hope.

Thank you for your support of the Redemptorists and God Bless You,

Father Paul Borowski, Provincial Superior