Pope Francis reacts to devastating quake in Italy

Please pray the Sorrowful Mysteries.

A major quake has struck Italy overnight, killing people as they slept. Entire buildings have collapsed and hundreds are missing. Aftershocks have worsened the damage.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - A 6.2 magnitude quake has struck central Italy. The quake hit at 3:36 a.m., as most people slept. Its depth was 6.5 miles.

Between the initial quake and dawn, 40 aftershocks rattled the region, including a 5.5 temblor.

The quake brought down several buildings if not entire towns according to initial reports. Scores of people are reported missing. At least 49 are confirmed dead. The death toll will rise. Rescue workers are digging frantically to rescue people from the rubble. There are dozens of reports of people still buried alive at this hour.

Some of the destroyed buildings date back to the medieval period.

The quake struck central Italy, in the Umbria region. The hardest hit town is Norcia, which has been largely leveled. The epicenter is about 100 miles north of Rome.

The quake was felt as far away as Switzerland and Naples.

Bishop Giovanni D'Ercole of Ascoli Piceno visited the village of Pescara del Tronto, which is one of the three hardest hit locations. The Bishop said he personally blessed the bodies of two children removed from the rubble.

The mayor of Amatrice, the third town in the devastated trio of communities, said "the town is gone."

The Vatican appears to have been undamaged. Pope Francis reacted swiftly to the event, replacing his general audience speech with a rosary for the victims. The Holy Father led the gathered masses in praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. He has requested all Catholics around the world pray the same.

The Italian Bishop's Conference has pledged to donate 1 million euro for quake relief.

In the town of Norica, the hardest hit, a Benedictine monastery and brewery suffered significant damage. However, because today is the Feast of St. Bartholomew the 15 monks and their 5 guests were already awake. None were injured in the disaster. The monks are spending the day aiding those in need in their community.

Your Catholic Voice Foundation has a donation fund, where people can submit donations for emergency relief.

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