Nepal priest: “Our presence among those who are suffering will give them hope”
The Catholic Church in Nepal has mobilised to support the victims of the devastating floods that struck the Himalayan country on 26 August, sweeping away entire villages and leaving thousands dead or missing.
“In some places along the Bhote Koshi River, entire villages have been wiped out. Many houses along the river were swept away. So far, 624 people have been confirmed dead and 2,400 are still missing,” Father Silas Bogati, Apostolic Administrator of the Apostolic Vicariate of Nepal, told the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
Initial investigations point to a sudden release of water in a glacial area of Tibet, possibly caused by the outburst of a glacial lake, although the exact causes are still being investigated.
Father Bogati confirms Rasuwa, on Nepal’s border with Tibet, as the worst-affected area and explains that “an important trade route with Tibet runs through this region, and Syabrubesi is also located there, one of the main departure points for tourists travelling towards the Langtang Valley”.
“All these hotels and settlements were swept away. There has been a high death toll in this area, and the river continued downstream, wreaking havoc across five districts. The flood has caused enormous devastation, as a huge mass of water surged downstream, destroying everything in its path. Some communities are still cut off, and search and rescue operations are proving difficult,” the Apostolic Administrator of Nepal told ACN.
Nepal’s Catholic community is very small compared with the country’s overall population. According to the Apostolic Administrator, “the Catholic Church has 13 parishes and 10,000 Catholics, but it has always worked for the Nepali population irrespective of their religion, and we will continue to do so as they suffer in this hour of need.”
As for the small Catholic community, Father Bogati said in his interview with the charity that “members of one of the Catholic communities go down to Syabrubesi to work. Some of them may have been swept away by the waters. We do not have any figures yet. Regarding buildings, no Catholic churches or chapels have been destroyed.”
The Church has already begun providing emergency assistance and assessing needs in the affected areas. Caritas Nepal has set up community kitchens and dispatched food to provide meals for 300 affected families for 15 days. In areas that remain inaccessible, assistance will be expanded through local partners. With further rainfall forecast and many people still sleeping outdoors, tarpaulins, blankets and sleeping mats are also among the priorities.
In a country where Catholics are few and geographically very isolated, Father Bogati also stresses the importance of feeling that Nepal’s small Church is not alone: “The Holy Father, Pope Leo, was the first to pray and to show his sympathy and closeness to the victims of these flash floods. In the same way, we are receiving prayers and support from the Catholic Church around the world,” he explains.
For Father Bogati, however, the Church’s mission is not limited to material assistance: “By being there, providing relief now and, later, contributing to reconstruction, we give hope. Our presence among those who are suffering will give them hope,” he says.
The apostolic administrator is making a special appeal for prayers for the victims and all those affected by the disaster, and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and solidarity of ACN and its benefactors with Nepal’s small Catholic community.
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