Christchurch continues to rebuild 6 months after deadly earthquake

This week marked 6 months since the Christchurch Earthquake in New Zealand. The earthquake killed 181 people, and destroyed or severely damaged several thousand buildings, including the city’s iconic Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, as well Christchurch Cathedral, which serves the Anglican Church.

“The word being used in Christchurch right now is rebuilding, so a lot of energy and a lot of focus is going into the rebuilding of homes, of workplaces, of businesses, of lives,” said Father John O’Connor, a parish priest from the Diocese of Christchurch.

“But the most important thing is that rebuilding is seen as an opportunity to rebuild at a deeper level, the life of the heart,” he told Vatican Radio. “We make sure that we don’t just build things that can be easily demolished by an earthquake, but that we build lives that build lives that are strong and centred on God.”

He said the people of New Zealand are reflecting more on life.

“I believe that in New Zealand at the moment, not only because of the earthquake but for a whole variety of reasons, people are realizing that what they are giving their lives to, whether it be relationship or work, has not delivered what it promised,” he said. “There must be more.”

Father O’Connor is attending this week’s Rimini Meeting sponsored by the lay movement Communion and Liberation.

Listen to the full interview of Luca Collodi with Father O'Connor: