I was sick and you visited me

Photo Courtesy : http://www.royal.gov.uk/List%20Images/List%20images%202/PSSOW/EMP-4483534.jpg

A year ago Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a car crash in Paris.

Our readers know that MISYON has been carrying the campaign against anti-personnel mines for a long time now. So we were delighted when Diana, Princess of Wales, took up the campaign. It gave a very high profile image to the anti-mine work and highlighted the horror of 26,000 casualties a year. These casualties are mostly children, women and farmers. The Holy Father himself has singled out these weapons as been particularly inhuman when he said, “I should once again like to make a vigorous appeal for the definitive cessation of the manufacture and use of these arms called anti-personnel mines. In many countries of the world they compromise the return of peace over long periods of time because they have been placed either on the roads or in the fields with the intention of causing indiscriminate harm to a maximum number of people. In fact they continue to kill and cause irreparable damage well after the end of hostilities, giving rise to severe mutilation in adults and above all in children."

By Sr. Josefina Santos, SPC

A Filipino Sister makes a pilgrimage to China and reports on the difficult situation of the divided Church.

No in my dreams did I ever imagine myself walking on Chinese soil. If someone had told me when I was a child that I would one day see China. I would have said. “You must be joking.” And yet this impossibility became a reality on August 21, 1996 when I set foot in Beijing, the heart of China, with a group of 53 parishioners of St. Margaret’s Church.

By Sr. Angela Marie, RGS

“She stunned us with her perfection. Fresh from another galaxy, she radiated an untarnished glory. Everything about her was an intimation of the divine images. We took turns holding her greedily absorbing her baby scent, and nearly falling over from giddiness and joy.”
(Gloria Hutchinson, Praying The Rosary)

The above quote from Gloria Hutchinson who describes her first encounter with her first grandchild is a perfect description of every newborn baby, girl or boy, brown, black or white. When we celebrated the bi-centennial anniversary of our foundress, St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier, and he special gift to our gift to our community, we celebrated this unique ministry to new born babies and their mothers and Grace Maternity Hospital. It is a very and privilege ministry to yawning, crying, feeding, sleeping, “grace –full” babies, radiant mothers glowing with joy, pride, beaming daddies, smiling grandparents, some excited siblings and happy visitors.

By Sr. Roslyn Rivera, CM

Some years ago there Carmelite Missionaries left the Philippines to assist in the Pastoral Youth Ministry in the Diocese of Ratchaburi, 130 kms. southwest of Bangkok. Sr. Roslyn Rivera describes their first tentative steps in a strange but hospitable land.

Hospitality

We spent the first few months studying the Thai language which was difficult. This experience brought a lot humbling situations. Like when I asked or the post office, I ended up at the train station. But hospitality towards the stranger. Another day I was driving to a village under the torrent of rain to bring something to close a family. The road was so bad that I did not realize how the close I was to the edge. I ended up by going into the ditch. The car got stuck. So I had to get down and walk back to the nearest house to asked for help. Two men readily came back with me after a few minutes, more people came on their bicycles and motorcycles, including children and women bringing with them a rope, hoe and spade to help pull out the car.

a Filipino Sister and her helpers gives a lead

By Sr. Conception ‘Ching’ Madduma, ICM

Sr. conception ‘Ching’ Madduma ICM has been working for many years in India with the mentally handicapped. She runs a school and trains trainors and teaches parents how to look after their mentally handicapped children. Her expertise is in the education and care of persons with learning difficulties. In some cultures mentally handicapped people are seen as non-persons. Sr. Ching has had a long uphill road. Here we give a little picture of one of her many faithful co-workers, Mr. Shiv Hari Singh.