After Hurricane Melissa 'left a trail of heartbreak,' faith and action bring healing

(OSV News) -- In Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa "has left a trail of heartbreak across our beloved island," said the Diocese of Montego Bay -- and now parishes, schools and other communities throughout the Caribbean are seeking help as they begin the arduous task of rebuilding and healing after the deadly storm.

As of Nov. 4, a total of at least 75 were confirmed killed by the storm -- 43 in Haiti, where even without landfall the storm's fierce rain caused massive flooding and landslides; and 32 in Jamaica, where Melissa struck Oct. 28 as a Category 5 hurricane, with winds of 185 miles per hour. Official totals of the numbers killed by the storm are still being calculated as recovery efforts continue.

The hurricane ranked as the first of such intensity to directly hit Jamaica, sparking memories of 1988's Hurricane Gilbert, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm.

According to the United Nations, Hurricane Melissa impacted some 6 million in the Caribbean, with Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba the hardest hit.

Speaking Nov. 4, Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the hurricane had caused home and infrastructure damage equivalent to about one third of the nation's 2024 gross domestic product.

In a Nov. 5 Facebook post, the Diocese of Montego Bay said that "from St. Ann to Westmoreland, families are struggling -- churches have lost their roofs, classrooms are flooded, and communities of faith are gathering in the open air to pray for strength."

Photos and video posted by the diocese on its Facebook timeline in the wake of the storm show splintered trees, heavily damaged buildings and flooded streets.

The church of St. Joseph Parish in Sav la Mar was completely razed by the hurricane, the parish reported in a Nov. 1 Facebook post.

Images included in the post showed a pile of rubble where the church once stood, with a few damaged pews remaining under the open sky.

"What once stood as a place of prayer, weddings, baptisms and community now lies in ruins -- its walls gone, its roof torn away, its altar exposed to the sky," said the parish in its post.

One clip uploaded by the Diocese of Montego Bay shows St. Mary Church and its school, located in Cambridge, with the roofs of both structures sheared off. Water pours across the grounds and adjacent road, coursing over downed power lines and broken branches.

Another Facebook post by the diocese shows a raging torrent in front of St. Agnes Church in Chester Castle, as well as an image from inside the tiny church, the roof of which was completely ripped away by the storm.

The Compassionate Franciscan Sisters of the Poor -- who operate a clinic and mission center in Montego Bay -- sustained "considerable damage" to their convent, said the diocese, which noted the building now lacks electricity, water and its roof.

However, said the diocese, the sisters themselves "are safe and well," and "send their thanks for everyone's prayers."

The Franciscan Friars of the Province of Guadalupe, who have communities serving in Jamaica and Cuba, reported on their website Oct. 29 that their members in both countries are safe, with electricity for their Havana friars now restored after an eight-hour outage.

Friars assigned to the western town of Negril, Jamaica, have collaborated with Mary, Gate of Heaven Parish there to post regular reports on Facebook regarding their pastoral visits after the storm.

On Oct. 30, the friars said they had witnessed "extensive damage" at St. Luke Parish in Little London, with two water tanks "blown off," the gate "completely blocked" by storm debris, and a trailer that served as a clinic tossed sideways, with some images showing significant flooding.

The friars said they "continue to face challenges, with no electricity or internet access at the friary," adding they "are running low on clean water."

They said they had partnered with a nonprofit to feed Negril residents, adding, "We anticipate a significant increase in the number of people coming to the kitchen, expecting numbers similar to COVID times – around 400 to 500 people."

But "even in this devastation, our faith stands firm," said the Diocese of Montego Bay in its (date) Facebook post. "The Church remains – serving, comforting, and rebuilding in the name of Christ."

The diocese said it has launched the Hurricane Melissa Relief Fund, which can be accessed online at givesendgo.com/Jamaica, "to provide immediate food, water, and shelter – and to begin rebuilding homes, churches, and centers across Jamaica."

The Franciscan Friars of the Province of Guadalupe have also launched a relief fund through their Franciscan Friars Charities, with donations accepted at give.franciscanrelieffund.org/page/157306/donate/1.

Catholic Relief Services, the official overseas humanitarian and development agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has also established a fund to aid Hurricane Melissa victims in Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba, which can be accessed online at crs.org/donate/hurricane-melissa.

"Please join us in prayer and action," wrote the Diocese of Montego Bay wrote in an Oct. 28 Facebook post. "Let us rebuild with faith."