The signs of Hurricane Melissa can still be seen everywhere in Jamaica’s affected villages and towns — roofs torn away, school buildings reduced to rubble, homes patched with tarps and rope, families learning how to endure yet another day of struggle and uncertainty. Still, there is something that stands out even more than the damage: the resilient spirit of survivors. That resilience shines through in their conversations, their worship, and the way neighbors continue to show up for one another as they rebuild their lives.
Cross Catholic Outreach visited the dioceses of Mandeville and Montego Bay and encountered story after story of people carrying heavy burdens with remarkable faith, tenderness and courage. We met mothers who were still rebuilding their lives, teachers who continued to show up for children while their own homes remained damaged, religious sisters who were caring for the sick with compassion and grace, and concerned Church leaders who knew their communities by name and refused to let suffering have the final word.
One mother, Kerry Ann, described trying to hold down the roof of her home with shoelaces as the storm closed in, praying all the while for her children’s safety. Elsewhere, though their school still lay in ruins, the students of St. Theresa Kindergarten had returned to their lessons with joy — singing, learning and laughing in a temporary space inside the church. Nearby, an entrepreneur named Renel refused to let the flooding of her home break her will to succeed; instead, it reinforced her determination to make the most of every day. “The hurricane came with a lot of lessons,” Renel said, “The lesson I took from it is that we shouldn’t take life for granted.”
There were also the unforgettable sisters at the Hope Teaching Health Clinic, moving steadily from patient to patient, offering medicine, food, presence and encouragement with a compassion that brought healing in and of itself. Time and again, even amidst desperate need, emerged a testimony of what it means for the Church to remain close — to accompany, to comfort, and to help people who have weathered the storm as they trust in Christ and begin again.
Our team found a Church that is still standing with its people — in the flooded communities, in the damaged homes, in the makeshift classrooms, in the clinic waiting rooms, and in the daily, faithful work of recovery. Even after great devastation, hope is passed from one person to another.
Donations from this campaign will be used to cover any expenditures for this project incurred through June 30, 2027, the close of our ministry’s fiscal year. In the event that more funds are raised than needed to fully fund the project, the excess funds, if any, will be used to meet the most urgent needs of the ministry.
