Ecuador - The Feast of Mary Help of Christians revives hope among the people affected by the earthquake

27 May 2016
Ecuador - The Feast of Mary Help of Christians revives hope among the people affected by the earthquake

(ANS - Manta) - Tarqui is an area in Manta that has suffered a lot due to the earthquake. The memory of it is alive because only a few weeks have passed. We must lift our heads and keep living without a loved one who died in the earthquake, without a home, with nothing to live for. There may also be a moment of despair. But when we raise our eyes we meet the gaze of our Mother, the Help of Christians. She comforts us and encourages us to live in hope. "She can do everything!" On 24 May this was the phrase that the people of Tarqui remember. She is the mother who brings back the smile and restores faith and hope.

Despite the pain and the sadness that still remain in people’s hearts, Our Lady revives the hope that better days will come. The Manta community held a simple celebration. In the morning, the Eucharist was celebrated in the courtyard of the new building. It was attended by the teachers and all the staff. The Rector of the Community, Fr Luis Mosquera, presided over the ceremony, accompanied by the parish priest Fr Rubinsky Sánchez, Fr Francisco Gomez and Fr Iván Segarra.

Fr Mosquera pointed out the importance of Mary Help of Christians: "Our Lady is with us, now more than ever, to help us, to support us and protect us ... the people have prayed and asked for her protection, in our health and work".

At the church of Sts Peter and Paul another Eucharist was celebrated, presided over by Archbishop Lorenzo Voltolini of Portoviejo. "We are here to ask God and Our Lady for the wine of joy, which is a sign that the Lord is present and that she will always be with us."

Despite the sadness and pain that still linger in the hearts of the people, the feast of Mary Help of Christians brought back the smile to the people of Tarqui.

View the embedded image gallery online at:
https://www.infoans.org/en/sections/news/item/1075-ecuador-the-feast-of-mary-help-of-christians-revives-hope-among-the-people-affected-by-the-earthquake#sigProId367b1d012e

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