Itanagar (AsiaNews) – Heavy monsoon rains caused serious flowing yesterday along the Kumey River, resulting in serious damage in the Diocese of Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh.
The Church of St Thomas in Parsi Parlo was swept away, while nearby buildings – like the rectory, convent, and school – were submerged under six feet or almost two metres of water.
“When the water receded, everything was found damaged and covered in slush,” said Bishop Benny Varghese, who called on the faithful to pray for the community, "so that God protects everyone from further harm and grants them strength, security and consolation during this natural disaster".
Events unfolded in the early hours, yesterday.
“By grace of God, the Monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament was moved to a higher and safer place,” said Bishop Varghese, who also spoke with the parish priest, Father Naveen Kumar
“The presbytery, convent, and school were also fully submerged under more than six feet of water,” the latter told him.
The pastor of Itanagar urged all the other parishes, as well as schools, convents, and facilities to “come forward and commit yourself to relief and reconstruction operations.”
“Amid the mud and devastation left by the floods, while our teams were clearing away the rubble at the site of St Thomas School, they suddenly heard a voice coming from under the rubble,” he said, speaking to AsiaNews.
“They began to lift broken furniture, damaged equipment, and layers of mud. To their amazement, buried under the rubble, a ‘Solar Bible’ continued to play, incessantly proclaiming the Good News.” The Solar Bible is a portable, durable audio device that plays recorded Scripture.
For the bishop, this represents “God's intervention”, but also “a sign of hope and God's presence for the community in this dark moment. In the midst of loss, His Word remained," he said.
The Christian organisation Faith Comes from Hearing had donated five thousand solar Bibles to the diocese, and Bishop Varghese sent one to every parish and school in his area.
“For us, this was more than an extraordinary discovery. It was a profound sign of hope. Even under the weight of destruction, the Word of God continued to speak. It reminded us that the Word of God can never be silenced. The Word is life- it withstands every trial and continues to bring hope, even in the darkest moments.”
The prelate went on to ask the faithful "to pray for all those who are helping with the cleaning and rebuilding work."
The Diocese of Itanagar is currently coordinating relief operations after the devastating flood that swept away St Thomas Church.
