A massive landslide triggered by the collapse of part of the Birch Glacier buried nearly 90 percent of the Catholic village of Blatten in Switzerland’s Lötschental Valley on May 28.
Newsroom (May 31, 2025, 07:25, Gaudium Press) A catastrophic landslide, triggered by the collapse of part of the Birch Glacier, engulfed nearly 90% of the historic Catholic village of Blatten on May 28, burying homes, farmland, and its 15th-century church under tons of ice and debris.
While all 300 residents were safely evacuated, the tight-knit community—renowned for its centuries-old Corpus Christi processions and deep Catholic roots—now faces an uncertain future.
“The Unimaginable Has Happened”
Blatten Mayor Matthias Bellwald described the disaster as “the unimaginable,” though he vowed the village would rebuild. Rescue teams worked swiftly to evacuate residents, even airlifting sheep as villagers fled with little more than the clothes on their backs.
“The people saved their lives, but they didn’t manage to save much else—there was no time,” said Polish priest Fr. Robert Biel, who serves in nearby Zermatt. “It’s a tragedy for those who lost everything.”
A Centuries-Old Catholic Legacy Lost
The landslide destroyed Blatten’s 1985-built church, which housed a priceless 15th-century statue of the Virgin Mary. The village, one of four in the Lötschental Valley, was a bastion of Swiss Catholicism, known for its vibrant processions and as a recruiting ground for the Vatican’s Swiss Guard.
“This region had the most beautiful Corpus Christi processions,” Fr. Biel told OSV News. “People wore traditional dress, carried historic banners, and sang in choirs. Many Swiss Guards came from here and joined these celebrations.”
Now, only three villages remain in the valley.
Mountain Life: Beauty and Peril
The disaster struck just weeks before Blatten’s famed Corpus Christi festivities. As debris blocked the River Lonza, forming a growing lake, authorities warned of further instability in the glacier-weakened terrain.
For residents, the mountains are both a blessing and a threat. “They live here knowing it’s beautiful, but that can change in an instant,” Fr. Biel said. “We’ve lost many in mountain rescues. The weather is unpredictable—I once needed a helicopter to reach Holy Week Masses because of sudden snow.”
Long Road to Recovery
With Caritas and the Red Cross providing immediate aid, the focus now shifts to long-term recovery. “What’s needed is a plan to help these people rebuild their lives,” Fr. Biel emphasized.
As displaced villagers take refuge in neighboring towns like Wiler, grief weighs heavily. One woman, sitting alone outside a church, told Sky News: “I lost everything. I hope you understand why I can’t speak now.”
Yet, amid the loss, faith remains. “We pray for them,” Fr. Biel said. “In the mountains, life means living with the unexpected—and often, with loss. But the Church will stand with them.”
For now, Blatten’s Corpus Christi banners lie buried. But its people, like their ancestors, are no strangers to resilience.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from OSV and UCAN News
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