Emergency assistance of $10,000 sent by Canadian Jesuits International is helping rebuild in areas served by Pleasant Hill Kindergarten School, St. George’s College and a Rural Development Program.

The Caribbean has already felt the impact of other hurricanes, but Hurricane Dean will be remembered by Jesuits in Jamaica as being one of the most devastating in memory.

Canadian Jesuits International responded immediately to the situation, sending $10,000 in emergency assistance the day before Hurricane Dean hit. That helped people in St. Anne's and Holy Name Parishes buy zinc sheeting to do immediate repairs.

"The Jesuit parish bought bulk zinc from a hardware store and issued coupons for the parishioners to buy the required sheeting. Now we are appealing for support to help with the reconstruction," said Canadian Jesuit Fr. Peter McIsaac, Regional Superior for Jamaica who has been coordinating the response to the emergency. St. Anne's Church is a focal point for people in one of Kingston's poorest neighbourhoods.

It's expected that St. George’s College, Holy Name Church and church hall, St. Peter's Kindergarten School in Pleasant Hill and Holy Spirit Church in Islington will all take a long time to get back on their feet. Parishioners of Holy Name Church do not have the means to repair the significant damage done to the roof of their Church and office without outside help.

"Though the centre of Dean passed 40 miles south of Kingston, winds in southern parishes (ridings) at the peak of the storm hit Category 3 and gusts were even higher," reports Christopher Llanos, SJ, who is at the Jesuit Centre at Winchester Park on the Grounds of St. George's College.

St. George's was especially hard hit with several buildings damaged. The Sixth Form (Grade 12 level high school) classroom block was the most severely damaged with damage to the roof and walls. Electrical wiring was torn apart in that building.

"At the moment, three classrooms remain unusable in what was an already overcrowded school," said Chris Llanos, SJ. "We don't expect those classrooms will be available until the second term in January 2008. There are no vacant rooms at this time." There is also a security problem at St. George's College, he said, because a large section of the wall surrounding the college property was toppled in the storm.

In rural areas of the country, farmers suffered immense damage. In St. Mary, where Canadian Jesuits have been working since 1990, "plantain, papaya and almost all vegetable crops were destroyed by the hurricane winds," according to Fr. Jim Webb.

More support is needed. If you would like to help, please send your cheque to,

Canadian Jesuits International
1325 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario M5R 2C4 Canada
Tel: (416) 962-4500
Fax: (416) 962-4501

Please make cheques payable to:
Canadian Jesuits International
(for Hurricane Dean Reconstruction)

Or, you can donate online through Canada Helps
Click the drop-down menu next to "Fund/Designation"
and select Hurricane Dean Reconstruction
(A 3% FEE WILL BE CHARGED BY CANADA HELPS)