After the journey that accompanied us towards the Jubilee of Consecrated Life (8–12 October 2025), we wish to continue walking in the path of Hope, allowing ourselves to be inspired by new testimonies from the Sisters Project of Vatican News, which we will publish weekly on our website.

This week we share the mission of the Little Sisters of the Poor, who responded with generosity and promptness to a major emergency following the earthquake in Venezuela. Their St. Joseph Hospital in La Guaira suffered significant structural damage, prompting the congregation to set up a field hospital to care for the injured.

“St. Joseph Hospital suffered structural damage in the earthquake and is no longer safe to occupy. That is why we have set up a field hospital right across the street,” says Sister María Yraida Mora Sánchez, Vicar General of the Little Sisters of the Poor of Maiquetía, whose congregation carries out a health ministry in La Guaira and Caracas, Venezuela.

Like the rest of the population, the religious sister's greatest concern is that more survivors may still be found, as has miraculously happened in recent hours amid the rubble covering La Guaira, where authorities have already reported more than 3,500 deaths.

“Every person you speak with tells you they have lost a friend, a family member, or a child. Others have lost their homes or their jobs, because the areas where they worked have also been destroyed,” she says, describing the daily reality faced by the population after the earthquake.

Caring for Shelters Amid a Humanitarian Crisis

In addition to the care provided through the hospital, Sister María Yraida Mora explains:

“We are also making regular visits to three emergency shelters, and the situation is extremely difficult. It is especially challenging because Venezuela was already experiencing a severe economic and humanitarian crisis, as much of the world already knows.”

“Last Sunday we celebrated the Eucharist here in Father Machado Square. It was presided over by Bishop Pablo Modesto of La Guaira. The people's faith and trust in God remain alive, even in the midst of suffering,” she recalls.

A Hospital Under Tents

Sister María Mora describes how the medical center had to be transformed after the earthquake:

“Here in La Guaira we have St. Joseph Hospital, a well-equipped Level II healthcare facility. We also manage Mother Emilia School in Maiquetía, several health centers in Caracas, and a home for older adults. However, St. Joseph Hospital suffered severe structural damage and can no longer be occupied. Therefore, we established a field hospital in the square directly opposite the building. We are receiving support from the Italian Red Cross, Avessoc (the Venezuelan Association of Christian-Oriented Health Services), and the congregation's own physicians, who serve at Padre Machado Clinic and St. Joseph Hospital.”

She adds:

“We are working under tents and temporary shelters, doing everything possible to make the space functional. This is where we are providing medical care, especially since many members of our staff and collaborators have themselves been affected by the disaster. Every day we also visit tent camps where displaced families are living, bringing them water, food, medicines, and other basic necessities. In the midst of this tragedy, we cannot forget those living with chronic illnesses—people with hypertension, diabetes, or epilepsy. They need ongoing care and access to their medications so that their conditions do not worsen.”

The Risk of a Public Health Emergency

Asked about concerns over possible disease outbreaks, the religious sister says:

“Unfortunately, our country's healthcare system was already in a critical condition before the earthquake. Right now there is an enormous need for antihistamines, blood pressure medication, and antifungal creams, since Vargas State is an extremely hot region and there is currently no running water. The needs seem endless. We also see a tremendous need for drinking water and hydration for those who continue searching through the rubble for survivors or trying to recover the few belongings they have left.”

Regarding the work of medical personnel, she explains:

“Our doctors are organizing their patients so they can continue receiving their medications, since most pharmacies in Vargas State were either destroyed or remain closed.”

“The most seriously injured patients have been transferred to hospitals in Caracas. Here we are focusing on primary healthcare: treating wounds and caring for cases of diarrhea and viral infections that are already beginning to emerge,” says Sister Mora.

A Heritage of 138 Years

The Vicar General also spoke of the community's profound sorrow over the damage suffered by St. Joseph Hospital:

“It is the birthplace of our congregation. It houses the chapel where the remains of Father Machado and Mother Emilia, our founders, rest. This hospital is a symbol not only for us, but for the entire State of Vargas (La Guaira). It has served the community for 138 years.”

Despite the extensive material damage, Sister María Yraida Mora concludes with a reflection:

“The hospital is not simply a building made of walls. The hospital is each one of us: every nurse, every doctor, and every religious sister who, day after day, strives to give the very best of herself.”

Article by Johan Pacheco, for Vatican News

Translated by the UISG Communications Office