Santiago, Chile, Oct 13, 2010 / 12:22 pm
The Bishops’ Conference of Chile issued a statement this morning on the ongoing rescue efforts to bring the 33 trapped miners to the surface at the San Jose Mine and reunite them with their families.
The miners have been trapped under a half-mile of rock deep beneath Chile's Atacama Desert since the mine shaft collapsed Aug. 5. Rescue workers originally projected that the miners would be free in late December.
The first of the miners was brought to the surface on Oct. 13 and rescue officials now say it is possible that all will be free within a day.
In a statement titled, “Chile is experiencing an Easter Morning,” the bishops' press office noted that “the word of God is being proclaimed with force” outside the mine, “as the first miners have been brought to the surface and reunited with their families.” The statement added that prayers of gratitude have characterized the rescue efforts. “Some have offered up prayers as soon as they walked out of the capsule Phoneix 2, which carried them to safety.”