Bogotá, Colombia — 11 August 2026
On the morning of Monday, 10 August, a powerful earthquake measuring 7.4 in magnitude, with its epicentre in San José del Palmar, in the department of Chocó, shook much of Colombia and was felt with particular intensity in cities such as Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Bucaramanga and Manizales. In response to the gravity of the tragedy, the National Government declared a national state of emergency and mobilised security forces for rescue and relief operations.
The official death toll, which is still being updated, has already surpassed 160, with hundreds of people injured, in addition to extensive material damage in several regions of the country. The Colombian Geological Service has also reported more than sixty aftershocks, while search and rescue operations continue in the areas most severely affected, including Cali, Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó and Armenia.
As a Redemptorist family, we join in prayer and solidarity with all those affected and with their families.
In the midst of this painful situation, we give thanks to God that our confreres in the different communities of the Redemptorist Missionaries in Colombia are well. None of them has been injured, and from each house and community we remain attentive and ready to accompany the populations most severely affected.
Some of our ministries and institutions, however, have suffered damage. The Minor Basilica of the Lord of Miracles in Buga sustained partial damage, including cracks in the central dome and falling material. For safety reasons, the church will remain temporarily closed while specialised engineers carry out a technical assessment of the structure and evaluate any possible risks. In the meantime, the celebration of the Eucharist is taking place outdoors, in the square in front of the Basilica. The Buga community has entrusted all the families of Colombia to the Lord of Miracles, asking for serenity and strength to face this difficult moment.
In Manizales, one of the cities most severely affected, the San Clemente Redemptorist Seminary School has announced that, in accordance with the measures issued by the Mayor’s Office of Manizales and in view of the emergency situation affecting the city, classes will be suspended for the entire week. This period will be dedicated to inspecting the infrastructure in order to prevent possible risks and ensure that the return to classes takes place under the safest possible conditions for students, families and staff. The institution has thanked the entire educational community for its understanding and trust and will provide timely information regarding the decisions taken.
We entrust the whole of Colombia to the Lord of Miracles and to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, especially those who have lost loved ones, the injured, families whose homes have been damaged, and all the emergency and rescue personnel working tirelessly in the affected areas.
Finally, we wish to express our heartfelt gratitude for the many expressions of affection, solidarity and prayer that we have received from different parts of the world for us, the Redemptorist Missionaries in Colombia. Your closeness gives us strength and reminds us that, even in the midst of trial, we do not walk alone.
We continue to place our trust in the One in whom “there is abundant redemption” (Copiosa apud eum redemptio).
Fr. Oscar David Tarazona Trujillo, C.Ss.R.
Provincial Secretary
