To victims of the tsunami in the Solomon Islands:

The area worst hit by the wave is the western province: in the capital Gizo, communication lines are still down. Personnel from the Catholic aid agency are trying to contact the local bishop, Msgr Bernard O’ Grady; his dwellings lie along the seafront near the Cathedral.

“We are responding to the emergency through our Caritas partners and the local Church” said Liz Stone, of Caritas Australia. The risk of land and mudslides provoked by the giant wave is high as well as an outbreak of infective diseases provoked by poor sanitary conditions.

The Dominican nuns of Summit, who blog here, have a note from Bishop Chris Cardone, OP, of Auki:

Right now all is well here in my diocese but the Dominican Diocese of Gizo is in GREAT strife.

Early this morning there was a huge earth quake in Guadalcanal. Then a few hours later at aprox 8 am Solomon time a series of 4 tidal waves struck the Western Province. At this point it seems that all friar s and sisters are ok but the houses and mission stations have had most houses and buildings washed out to sea. the Sisters Motherhouse in Loga was washed away and the brothers house mostly destroyed. A nearby Gizo village called Nusubaruku was also destroyed.