The bishops of Panama have issued a letter to their nation after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck the country on October 9, urging that parishes should become “true homes with open doors”. The day after the earthquake struck, the Archdiocese of Panama announced that collection centres would be established to receive donations to support affected communities.
At least 27 people were injured and around 900 homes were damaged, with more than 200 aftershocks being recorded following the earthquake, which occurred three days before a planned national earthquake evacuation drill.
