The Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, through its Vice Grand Chancellery, University Pastoral and General Directorate of Links with the Environment, began an ambitious project that it shares with the Diocese of Valparaíso and to go to the rescue of the chapels and parishes affected during the megafire in February of this year that affected the communes of Viña del Mar, Quilpué and Villa Alemana.
The House of Studies called on those academic units that, due to their specialty, can contribute to the process of evaluating the state of the temples damaged by the action of fire and water during the tragedy.
To this end, a meeting was held with academics from the schools of Civil Engineering, Construction and Transportation Engineering, and Architecture and Design to familiarize them with the initiative, motivate them, and analyze support alternatives among teachers.
Professor Matías Valenzuela, of Construction and Transportation Engineering, valued this initiative through which different schools are coordinated. “Through this meeting, we are coordinating activities to start this diagnostic program, thinking about making visits in the coming weeks and, from there, being able to provide help and collaboration to the Bishopric in this matter.”
Likewise, according to the results of the diagnosis, he announced that “we will be able to analyze the possibility of thinking about a rehabilitation project.”
The academic highlighted that this initiative “has two very important aspects, on the one hand, a social theme that goes with our social seal, but also goes with one of the guidelines of our university, which points towards interdisciplinarity.”
“We become stronger as a university when we can have instances like this, where each of the expertise of each academic unit and faculty is made available for a common problem. This, without a doubt, enhances any project one embarks on,” added Matías Valenzuela.
Finally, the Vice Grand Chancellor, Brother Cristian Eichin ofm, explained that this project is part of an initiative through which it seeks to “organize, enhance and coordinate all the initiatives that the parishes and deaneries present to the PUCV, that is, a way for the Bishopric itself to find systematized support and advice in our house of studies.”
By Juan Pablo Guerra
Strategic Communication Department
