The Church Opens Its Doors As Venezuela Counts Its Dead

Venezuela needs help! You can help by donating to Aid to the Church in Need (link in the article) and by praying for the people of Venezuela.

From Aleteia

By Daniel Esparza

Here's how to help after 2 earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, devastating the country. The Catholic community is leading the response.

They struck forty seconds apart on a national holiday (St. John the Baptist). The first earthquake, magnitude 7.2, hit at 6:04 p.m. on June 24 near San Felipe, in northwestern Venezuela. Thirty-nine seconds later, a 7.5 magnitude quake—the largest to hit Venezuela since 1900—struck nearby. Because the day was the feast of Saint John the Baptist and Venezuela’s national holiday marking the Battle of Carabobo, schools, offices, and shops were closed. Archbishop Raúl Biord Castillo of Caracas credited the timing with limiting the death toll. At least 188 people were killed and more than 1,500 injured, with hundreds still trapped beneath collapsed buildings. The USGS warned the final toll could reach into the thousands.

The state of La Guaira, north of Caracas, was hit hardest. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a national state of emergency, describing it as a “genuine tragedy” and a “disaster zone.” Dozens of buildings collapsed in Caracas, including in the Los Palos Grandes and Altamira neighborhoods, and Simón Bolívar International Airport was closed. More than 138 aftershocks followed, and seismologists warned that further significant tremors were likely in the coming days.

Two people ride a motorcycle past a heavily damaged apartment building with its facade torn open following an earthquake in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, about 30 km northwest of Caracas, on June 25, 2026. A twin earthquake that was Venezuela's largest in over a century has killed at least 164 people and destroyed multiple buildings near the capital, where residents searched on June 25 for missing relatives. (Photo by Juan BARRETO / AFP)

Juan Barreto | AFP

The Catholic Church was among those hardest hit—and among the first to respond.

The Cathedral of Caracas sustained serious structural damage, as did roughly a dozen parishes across the affected zones. Archbishop Raúl Biord Castillo of Caracas toured the damage personally. Standing among the rubble of the church of San José de Ñaúralí, he described what he found: “In Ñaúralí the roof of the right nave fell in. The church and the parish house of Pagüita collapsed. The parish priest was miraculously saved.” In La Guaira, the ACN-funded diocesan seminary suffered wall collapses, displacing clergy and seminarians to a nearby stadium parking lot. Bishop Pablo Modesto González Pérez reported that his diocese was without electricity and that “many walls collapsed” at the seminary, though no casualties among priests or seminarians were reported.

Despite the destruction, the Church did not wait. Parishes across the affected zones opened overnight shelters for displaced families and Caritas solidarity networks were activated immediately. In a video posted to Instagram on June 25, Archbishop Biord called for unity and prayer: “We ask God that we can all face this moment together. In God, consolation—and in solidarity and charity.” He added: “The most important thing right now is that as a people we feel united to see how we can help those who have been displaced, those who have lost their homes.” On the material losses to the Church’s own buildings, his perspective was clear: "Material damage, the destruction of churches, causes us pain — but it can be recovered. Human lives are what matter most."

Pope Leo XIV responded swiftly. Through the Apostolic Almoner’s Office, coordinated with the Apostolic Nuncio to Venezuela, Archbishop Alberto Ortega Martín, and Archbishop Biord, the Pope sent an initial emergency donation of €100,000, with the Holy See indicating further assistance would follow as needs were assessed by the local Church.

Aid to the Church in Need, a pontifical foundation that considers Venezuela a priority country, also mobilized immediately. ACN has supported the Venezuelan Church for years—funding the La Guaira seminary, the construction of a church in Ciudad Chávez serving some 20,000 residents, and ongoing pastoral support for clergy across the country. The charity is in permanent contact with Archbishop Biord and Bishop González as damage assessments continue. “The Church is doing what it has always done in times of crisis,” said Marco Mencaglia, ACN’s Director of Projects. “Opening its doors, accompanying those who have lost everything and bringing hope where fear has settled.”

The earthquakes struck Venezuela at a moment of acute vulnerability. Years of political and economic crisis have left infrastructure fragile and institutions stretched, making recovery a long-term effort. Churches—already the most reliable providers of social services in many communities—now face serious structural damage at the precise moment they are most urgently needed.

International partners are also assessing how to assist, while national emergency services, firefighters, and local volunteers continue search-and-rescue operations. The US announced $150 million in aid, and rescue teams from across the Americas have begun arriving.

Make a donation at ACN.