Colombian Pastor Recovers Consecrated Hosts From Chapel Damaged by Earthquake
Father German Andres Clavijo and a religious sister gathered consecrated hosts scattered inside a 17th-century chapel in Roldanillo after an August 10 earthquake destroyed its wooden tabernacle
An earthquake struck Colombia on August 10, 2026, and consecrated hosts fell to the floor of the Virgen del Rosario de Chiquinquira chapel in the town of Roldanillo, in the department of Valle del Cauca. The quake hit at 7:34 a.m. and damaged the chapel, which dates from the 17th century. Its wooden tabernacle was destroyed.
Father German Andres Clavijo and Sister Marcela, a member of the Community of the Blessed Sacrament, entered the chapel to collect the scattered hosts, following the protocol the Church sets for such cases. Father Clavijo, who is also pastor of San Sebastian church, said that when they went in they headed for the spot where the tabernacle had stood, knocked down by falling debris.
The search for the consecrated hosts
"I tell them, 'Help me look, because the consecrated hosts are there,'" the priest said, describing the moment he realized what had happened. When they found the ciborium, they saw that it was badly damaged and that many of the hosts were broken. They picked them up while reciting "the litanies to the Blessed Sacrament, to Jesus in the Sacrament," placing them in a smaller ciborium.
For the hosts covered in dirt and rubble, the priest called for a separate procedure: placing them in a container of water so the Eucharistic species would dissolve, and then putting the water in a suitable place, such as a tree or a flowerpot.
Father Clavijo said he was saddened to see the hosts scattered on the floor, and said the Eucharist "is the life of the priest, that is the life of the Church, it is the center of us." He said he also had to act firmly, because the quake had left the chapel unstable and he and Sister Marcela feared aftershocks. "It was not the time to lament," he said.
Damage in Roldanillo
Roldanillo, about 95 miles from Cali, is one of the towns hardest hit by the earthquake. Founded in 1576, it has many colonial-era buildings that proved vulnerable to the shaking. The day after the quake, the Valle del Cauca government reported two deaths and 112 people injured, along with about 1,300 damaged homes, some of which collapsed completely. Sixty percent of the local hospital sustained structural damage.
The parish church remains closed because of the quake, and Masses are being celebrated in the town square. The Virgen del Rosario chapel cannot be used, and its restoration will depend on the state, since it is listed as national heritage property.
A pastoral message
In a video posted after the earthquake, Father Clavijo offered a prayer for the residents of Roldanillo, for those who have lost everything and for those who lost family members. "With hope and the hand of God, all united, we are going to get through this storm," he said.
His message drew on a Gospel image: "Sometimes we walk over strong winds, turbulent waves, our boat seems to be sinking, but God reaches out his hand to us."
