Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon, was preparing to
celebrate Mass at the Benedictine monastery in Norcia, Italy, when an
earthquake hit central Italy on October 26.“It didn’t last very long, but it really shook the building we were in,” Archbishop Sample told Catholic News Service.
He reported that he was rattled by the quake and by aftershocks that continued for several hours. “I think about three times during the night, I was halfway out of bed to get to the door,” the archbishop confessed.
No one at Norcia was injured by the October 26 earthquake.
The monastery had already needed repairs after a stronger earthquake in August, and the basilica dedicated to St. Benedict suffered extensive damage.
The monks living at St. Benedict’s birthplace estimate that it will take months to restore the basilica to regular use.