More than 100 churches in Panama affected by October earthquake

More than 100 Catholic churches sustained varying degrees of damage following the earthquake that shook Panama on Oct. 9, according to a preliminary report released by the country’s bishops’ conference.

The 7.5-magnitude earthquake impacted various sectors throughout the country, including in the nation’s capital city.

According to an Oct. 19 statement from the National Civil Protection System (SINAPROC, by its Spanish acronym), the earthquake injured 27 people and immediately killed one person. More than 9,000 homes sustained some form of damage.

Civil protection personnel survey Coclé Province, Panama, on Oct. 13, 2026. | Credit: SINAPROC Panama

The natural disaster also caused damage to Catholic Church properties. On Oct. 19, the Panamanian Bishops' Conference (CEP, by its Spanish acronym) published a report detailing the condition of the country’s cathedrals, parishes, and chapels.

The document classified the damage to two churches in the Diocese of Santiago de Veraguas as “totally destroyed”: St. Isidore the Farmer parish church in Soná, and Jesus of Nazareth Minor Basilica in the district of Atalaya.

The altar at St. Isidore the Farmer parish church…