The priest and principal rebuilt the church and school after the earthquake

(OSV News) – After an earthquake reduced their parish buildings to rubble, a Catholic priest and teacher teamed up to rebuild their beloved church and school – starting with the children whose faith was formed there.

Now, Father Melvin Diaz, pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, and parish school director, Carmen Alicia Rodriguez Echevarria, have been selected as recipients of the Catholic Extension Association's 2025-2026 Lumen Christi Award, selected from more than 40 nominees.

The award will be presented in November

The award, which will be officially given to them in November, provides $100,000 to be divided between the honorees and the diocese that nominates them. The funds, which will be shared between the recipients and the Diocese of Ponce, “will assist in ongoing efforts to rebuild the historic school and diocese,” Catholic Extension said.

Established in 1978, this annual honor — whose Latin title means “Light of Christ” — is the highest honor bestowed by the Catholic Extension. The Chicago-based nonprofit, founded in 1905, organizes support for about 15 million believers whose Catholic communities live in the poorest areas of the United States, including territories outside the United States.

In late December 2019, a series of earthquakes and aftershocks struck Puerto Rico, continuing into the new year, with a 6.4 magnitude earthquake striking the southwest of the island on January 7, 2020.

Historic church in the coastal city

The historic Church of the Immaculate Conception, located in the coastal town of Guayanilla – whose patroness is the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception – witnessed the collapse of its bell towers, and its crumbling walls destroyed the parish school.

Hours after the quake, Father Diaz told the New York Times that the church had withstood the 1918 earthquake — “We will rebuild,” he assured one of his parishioners at the scene.

The head of the Catholic Extension, Father Jack Wall, said this mission began with small steps – literally.

“Father Melvin had a vision for the revitalization of the school and church that would begin with the children,” Father Wall said in an Oct. 2 statement announcing the Lumen Christi Award. “To achieve this, he needed a trusted partner, which he found in a former student to lead the school, Dr. Carmen Rodriguez.”

Helping the community move forward

Father Diaz and Rodriguez “realized that they had the ability to help their community move forward,” Catholic Extension said in announcing its award Oct. 2.

“Together they decided that this church would take on a new mission and goal: revitalizing their school,” the association said.

Through their “tireless efforts,” the couple was able to increase post-earthquake enrollment from 90 to 229 — even amid Hurricane Fiona in 2022, a storm that “caused more significant damage,” Catholic Extension said in its statement.

When enrollment exceeded the remaining half space in the wake of the 2020 disaster, “Father Diaz and Rodriguez got creative, converting old storage rooms into classrooms,” the association said, describing the priest and principal as a “strong team” with a “common mission to build a better future for children.”

“The most difficult moment after the earthquake”

“God gave it to our community when we needed it most, in the most difficult moment after the earthquake,” said Father Diaz of Rodriguez. “I should recognize the light of Christ in her because of her sincerity and her honest and frank communication with me.”

For her part, Rodriguez said that the priest “always offers a smile, a greeting, and a greeting to everyone.”

“I thank him for the trust he has placed in me during these years,” she said.

Bishop Robin A. said: Gonzalez Medina of Ponce said the two had “the ability to maintain hope in a society with a thousand problems,” and that their presence “gives hope.

“Poor, simple, but happy societies”

“Poor, simple and joyful communities like ours are still affected by earthquakes and hurricanes,” the bishop said. “Here we are, moving forward little by little. Moving forward with our eyes fixed on Jesus.”

The priest and director said their community would greatly appreciate the award.

“This will help our community moving forward — most importantly the kids,” Rodriguez said. “We have a lot of hope for the present and the future.”

Jenna Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on @XGinaJesseReina.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos