by Joshua J. McElwee
Catholic Relief Services has released the following statement regarding the death of one of their employees at the end of a papal Mass in Tacloban, Philippines Saturday:
Today Catholic Relief Services grieves the loss of our staff, 27-year-old Kristel Padasas of Manila. Kristel passed away on Saturday, January 17, 2015, when she was struck by scaffolding at the site of the papal mass in Tacloban shortly after Pope Francis departed.
Kristel was based in Samar and worked on a recovery project for typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. Her dedication to the people affected by the typhoon extended beyond her official work with CRS. She traveled a great distance to volunteer at today’s papal mass and to remember the victims of typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda.
CRS Philippines mourns this loss along with her friends, family and loved ones. Her colleagues remember her as someone who loved to laugh and who was always ready to assist outside her normal duties. She found great joy in being able to contribute to the recovery effort by working directly with communities and families.
Our deepest prayers are with Kristel’s family and loved ones.
[Joshua J. McElwee is NCR Vatican correspondent. His email address is jmcelwee@ncronline.org. Follow him on Twitter: @joshjmac.]