Earthquake mars Tarragona church

TARRAGONA, DAVAO ORIENTAL—Almost a week prior to this town’s fiesta, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake has caused the damage in some portions of the San Pedro Claver Parish here.

The front portion of the church has almost collapsed if not for the grills that supported it while some cracks were seen in the walls connected to the pillars of the sanctuary when the quake struck at 3:15 in the afternoon of September 8, the birthday of the Blessed Mother.

That time, members of the Legion of Mary were preparing for the procession in celebration of Mary’s birthday. The parish priest, Fr. Edilberto Mahinay was on the ground between the rectory and the parish and was about to join them when the incident happened.

“We were like dribbled and shaken sideways when the earthquake happened. I saw how the plastering of the front walls collapsed. I was holding on the post and I worried for our safety,” said Fr. Mahinay during an interview with DCHerald.

The San Pedro Claver Parish is still waiting for the completion of their church. They were about to start the installation of their ceiling and the tiles on top part of the facade cracked.

“Despite what happened, we’re glad that nobody was hurt,” Fr. Mahinay said, adding that he asked the people to be careful not to come close to where the debris are when they were having their Novena Mass in the afternoon after the quake.

But aftershock was felt during the mass particularly during the singing of the Gloria, with the congregation asked to sit down and if necessary seek cover if the shaking is too strong.

Meanwhile, the statue of San Pedro Claver fell on the sanctuary when the earthquake occurred. The left fingers were broken and the cross he’s holding also broke.

“A lot of miracles have been attributed to this particular image of San Pedro Claver. It was a relief that only minor defects were incurred and the face of our patron saint was not damaged,” Fr. Mahinay quipped.

He added that he will be seeking assistance from the engineer hired to see if the structure is intact and safe.

Fr. Mahinay hopes that more help will be coming in to continue the repair the damages and continue the construction of their parish church.

The parish is celebrating their 34th parochial fiesta September 16.