La Guaira: “We do not remember them for the tragedy, but for the light they left behind”
Three months after the devastating earthquake that struck Venezuela, young people from the Diocese of La Guaira gathered to pray, sing, and remember those who were part of their groups, parishes, and pastoral activities. “They were people filled with light and life,” a young woman who lost her two sisters told ACN.
Three months after the earthquake that left thousands of dead, the young people of the Diocese of La Guaira want their friends to be remembered not for the tragedy that ended their lives, but for how they lived.
On Saturday 26 September, young people and families gathered at Plaza Jerusalén in Maiquetía to celebrate the Eucharist, sing, and remember the young Catholics who died on 24 June.
“They were people filled with light and life,” explains Crystal Olivo, a member of the Youth Ministry and the Diocesan Secretariat for Youth Ministry of La Guaira, to the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
Crystal knows that pain in a deeply personal way. In the earthquake, she lost her two sisters—seventeen-year-old Chantal and eight-year-old Clara—as well as friends and fellow youth ministry members.
“My little sisters were a living reflection of holiness,” she says. Chantal was deeply involved with the Church. She sang in the choir, took part in the youth group and catechesis, and was especially curious about everything to do with the faith. Crystal recalls that during one Youth Easter gathering, the leaders were looking for names of young saints for the different groups. “They called Chantal, and in no time at all she gave them a list of sixteen names of young saints,” she remembers. “She loved researching her faith, and she loved it so much that she wanted to reflect it and show it to the world.”
Her little sister, Clara, was very different, yet shared that same joy. Clara was born in 2017, in the midst of a severe economic and social crisis in Venezuela that directly affected her family too. “She arrived quite literally to bring joy to everyone’s lives,” Crystal recalls. “She was a child of light, colour, and laughter,” Crystal remembers. The young girl had overcome several health issues from a very early age. “She was always a survivor,” says her sister.
She was curious, bold, and not afraid to try new things. On 24 June, shortly before the earthquake, Clara had taken part in the Mass dressed as Our Lady of Candelaria at the church in Caraballeda. “She was so beautiful. She radiated light,” Crystal remembers. “Clara had always been very active, doing everything and never sitting still. But that day she was peaceful. She listened to the Mass, she was filled with light, her hair was done nicely, and that is how she departed.”
Young people who left an indelible mark
Crystal’s sisters were not the only victims among the young people of the Church in La Guaira. “The youth group most affected by the earthquake was mine. We lived right in ground zero, and many of our young people were in those buildings at that moment,” she tells ACN.
The group lost eight of its members. Among them was Nayra, 18, Chantal’s best friend. The two had not been able to see each other for some time due to their school work, and on that very day they had decided to meet up. Crystal had left the house just a few minutes earlier. “I was out of the building for five minutes, just as Nayra entered my house to see my sister,” she says. “Their souls were so pure, so connected, that everyone says you couldn’t find soulmates like them,” she recalls. “So much so that they left together.”
She also remembers Alejandro, “a very persevering and affectionate young man who gave his life to save his girlfriend,” and Juan – Juancho to his friends – a youth who came to the Church almost by chance after seeing photos of pastoral activities on WhatsApp. At first, Juancho complained about the number of activities he was invited to and how rarely they went to the beach. “He would always say, ‘I’m not going tomorrow, I’m not going, I’m not coming,’” Crystal recalls. Yet he would always turn up in the end. When the power went out at his home, he would call to ask what activity was taking place at the church that day and head over. Over time, he ended up becoming an altar server.
Eduarlys knew firsthand the hardships the country was facing. He worked every day to get by and help raise his brother Miguel, but Crystal remembers him above all for his joy: “He had a beautiful smile and always had a hug to give. He was a real fighter and very persevering.” Both brothers died in the earthquake.
“Just as I tell the story of my group, I could tell you about millions of young people who were lost,” says Crystal. She also remembers José, from Maiquetía, who was always ready to serve: “That kind of energy, those people who say yes to everything—even if it means going on a mission to the most remote mountain—are the people who, in youth ministry, are worth their weight in gold,” states Crystal. “They do it with a heart ready to know God.”
Remembering them as they lived
That is also the meaning the young people wanted to give to the gathering held on Saturday in Maiquetía. The call to assemble summarised the spirit of the event: “We do not remember them for the tragedy, but for the infinite light of their souls.”
For Crystal, describing who her sisters and friends were is also part of the path that lies ahead. “What you do to pass on faith in God is what you leave behind in the hearts of others,” she says. “That is what they did: they left their souls imprinted on the hearts of everyone around them.”
Since the earthquake on 24 June, ACN has accompanied the Venezuelan Church in its emergency response, particularly in La Guaira and Caracas, supporting priests, religious sisters, and pastoral workers who are working with the affected communities.
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