After a 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked central Italy, monks from a destroyed monastery are remaining hopeful and say they will rebuild.
According to CNN.com, the powerful earthquake targeted central Italy on Sunday, but miraculously, no deaths have been reported.
The quake did cause substantial damage to buildings, however.
A 13th-century basilica in the town of Norcia was destroyed, leaving only its structure, according to ChristianToday.com.
The monks and nuns who lived there were safely evacuated, but they are mourning the loss of the ancient edifice.
An appeal is underway to rebuild the monastery. Those who launched the appeal are looking for over nine million dollars for the rebuilding and restoring process.
Other ancient buildings besides Norcia Cathedral were destroyed in the earthquake as well. A 16th-century building known as the Santa Maria della Pace monastery was damaged, albeit not completely destroyed.
The nuns who lived there were evacuated to safety.
Despite the upheaval caused by the earthquake, the priests and nuns remain hopeful.
"We have started to accept once more that our life is not our own and God has altered our path once again," wrote one of the monks, Father Benedict.
In their appeal for the funds to rebuild, the monks also noted that earthquakes sometimes signify hope; namely, when the Bible says “And the earth shook, and the rocks were split” (Matthew 27:51b) directly following Christ’s crucifixion.
"An earthquake means both death and life: death to what went before, life in new beginnings,” the monks stated.
"Just as the resurrection of Christ made all things new, so this earthquake presents the monastery with new opportunities to strengthen our monastic foundations and build more securely for the future,” they continued.
Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com
Publication date: October 31, 2016
