Filipino priest in Australia calls for prayers amid fires

MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino priest in Australia is calling for prayers as catastrophic bushfires continue to blaze across Australia.

Parish priest and administrator of Saints Mary and Joseph Cathedral Fr. Joel Llave in Armidale New Southwales, Australia said that there were bushfires in their area around November and December.

“At these time medyo clear na dito sa area namin. We had the bushfire around November-December talagang napaka-usok nya on a daily basis. And now it’s toward the west and the south of Australia,” Llave was quoted as saying in a Radio Veritas report.

(At these time, it is pretty clear in our area. We had the bushfire around November-December and it was really engulfed in smoke on a daily basis. And now it’s toward the west and the south of Australia.)

Llave said they have been praying for rain since last year.

“So we really are asking for prayers para umulan sa Australia,” he added.

(So we are really asking for prayers for it to rain in Australia.)

Llave said that their parish is conducting special collections for affected families.

“In our own little way merong mga special collections para sa mga affected families lalu na nung Christmas…every week we have the prayer for rain, since last year pa. And in our area we have water restriction,” Llave said.

(In our own little way, we conduct special collections for the affected families especially last Christmas… every week we pray for rain, since last year. In our area we also have water restriction.)

An official from the Philippine Embassy in Canberra said Sunday around 300 Filipinos have been evacuated and given temporary housing.

The bushfires, which have been raging since September, have reportedly ravaged nearly 12.35 million acres, or almost 5 million hectares of land, and burned almost 2,000 homes.