"We are deeply sorry for these events," said Fr Carlo Lira, Provincial of Chile, "as they not only damage a century-old church of the city, but also the religious sensitivity of many who come here to meet God and the Blessed Virgin."
Last Sunday, December 15, in the parishes of the Diocese of Talca, a fundraising event was held to help the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians. This initiative, from the "Helping the Church in Need" Foundation, seeks to remedy the material damage that this church suffered on 11 November.
The Mary Help of Christians sanctuary has been a witness and part of the history of Talca since its inauguration in 1915. For more than a hundred years, its doors have been opened to welcome all those who wanted to have a moment of prayer and encounter with God in the city center. Every day, people of all ages and social conditions go to this place, which is not a parish, but where Mass and the Sacraments are still celebrated.
After being completely restored after the 2010 earthquake, the shrine of Mary Help of Christians returned to its former glory. Its original architecture has been maintained, the details of its pillars and vaults restored. It was a job that lasted four years and made the local community proud and happy.
Today the facade is damaged, the doors are blocked, the windows are broken and the interior is empty. On 11 November, the church was vandalized and desecrated. A group of people entered at night, destroyed all the images that were within their reach, took the benches, the kneelers, the chairs and the confessionals to the street to burn them and, more painfully, took the Blessed Sacrament to profane it.
For this reason, the "Helping the Church in Need" Foundation has committed itself to restoring and recovering destroyed furniture and, with the support of Msgr. Galo Fernández, Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Talca, held a collection in all the parishes on Sunday 15 December for this purpose.
