The wind blew at over 300 km/h, which is beyond the scale used to measure hurricanes. One liter of rain fell per square meter in 24 hours (in Warsaw, the average is 700 ml, but per year!). A huge disaster, unimaginable destruction...
Father Piotr Sierzchuła is a priest of the Archdiocese of Wrocław who has been working as a missionary in Jamaica since 2022. He serves in the parish of Savanna-La-Mar, a town located on the west coast of the island, about 40 kilometers from Montego Bay.
On October 28, Hurricane Melissa, a category five cyclone, swept across Jamaica, destroying everything in its path for hours on end.
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Savanna-La-Mar is a port city with a population of approximately 23,000. Although Jamaica is associated with tourism, this part of the island is one of the poorest and most neglected in terms of infrastructure. It is there that Father Piotr serves as parish priest and coordinator of several local educational initiatives.
On a daily basis, he is responsible for running the primary school that operates at the parish. Education is one of the most important tools for helping children overcome poverty and violence, which are still present in Jamaican society. In addition to his work at the school, the missionary also coaches the local soccer team. As he himself says, "In Jamaica, you can't do anything without soccer" i it's a way to build relationships with young people and teach them responsibility.
Missionary work in the Caribbean is not easy. The Savanna-La-Mar area is regularly hit by tropical storms and hurricanes. Father Piotr has reported on these events many times on his social media. Just a year ago, in July 2024, Hurricane Beryl struck the parish, tearing the roof off the church. The Missionary Family of the Sacred Heart helped rebuild the roof at that time. Today, not only is the roof gone, but the entire temple has been reduced to rubble...
Even before Melissa struck, Father Piotr was posting information about preparations to combat the storm on his Facebook channel, "Misje dobrych czynów" (Missions of Good Deeds). In his last video, he appealed to the faithful in Poland: "Pray for us." He recorded it while hiding in the bathroom of his mission, the only place without windows that could provide shelter from the hurricane. He emphasized that despite the difficult conditions, he was staying put to support the local residents.
"God bless you! I managed to send a message and photos thanks to my neighbor who has Starlink. The city is very damaged. I don't have a church. The church has completely collapsed. Our parish school is also damaged. Many people, especially in the poorer neighborhoods, have lost their homes. The roads are blocked. Gas stations are closed," reads the message we received from Father Piotr after more than 24 hours of silence and uncertainty.
On his social media, he wrote: "Thank you all for your prayers. Together with Nala (the missionary's dog – ed.), we managed to survive. The wind was terrible. Many people say that this is the first time they have experienced such a hurricane. The city is cut off, there is no way to get to other towns. We lost our church, our school was seriously damaged. There is no electricity. The hospital has serious problems. Fortunately, my house survived. Many people lost their homes. Today, I spent the whole day checking on people to see if they were safe and sound. People are starting to ask for clothes, medicine, and food. Please pray for us. What makes me happy is that people are organizing themselves, repairing houses, and cleaning the streets.
Hurricane Melissa was one of the strongest storms in Jamaican history, a category 5 cyclone with winds reaching speeds of 300 kilometers per hour. For hours, it destroyed everything in its path. The wind tore off roofs, broke trees like matchsticks, tore down power lines, and storm surges flooded entire towns. Heavy rains, which lasted continuously for several dozen hours, led to mudslides and floods. The hurricane moved very slowly, at a speed of only a few kilometers per hour, which prolonged its impact on the island.
Although initial forecasts indicated that the hurricane would pass through the eastern part of the island, it ultimately caused the most damage in the southwestern part, often referred to as the "breadbasket of Jamaica." This is where Savanna-La-Mar is located, where our missionary friend works. The Jamaican government declared the entire island a disaster area.
Fortunately, despite the restrictions, Father Piotr has access to the internet. Thanks to his reports, we can see what the first moments after the hurricane looked like and what the most urgent needs are in his parish. The material damage is enormous, and the reconstruction of the destroyed buildings may take years. However, the most important thing is the people: "First and foremost, I want to help the children. Those who lost their homes lost everything. The children now have no uniforms, no school supplies, and no books. I also want to organize food aid at the parish, because hungry people have already come to me asking for support."
Responding to the URGENT need to help the victims of the hurricane in Jamaica in the first hours after the disaster, we opened a collection for this purpose.
