Sr. Leonora Miñoza, MM
Among my various involvement in Pare Pare, Indonesia, the most rewarding pastoral care for the catholic patients in a leprosarium about five kilometer from the city. I visit this patients regularly, Either in their home or in gatherings in small houses that serve as chapel. We informally shares life experiences or we pray and sing hymns as the ocassion demands. Through this I gather information and intimate stories from each of them-each one has a story all his own!
Take Joseph, for example. Joseph was a teacher in Elementary school way up in Malino, a hilly resort in South sulawesi (Celebes). One day he discovered white spot that grew increasingly in size and in number, scattered all over his body. He felt numb and could not feel any pain in those areas. A cold shiver ran through his spine. He realized that he was a leper!
Life meant much no longer for Joseph. He sought of the hill to die. He had previously known a friend who had similar; died with in a year. He could not bear the prospect of becoming slowly dismembered and this figured by the dreaded disease. What is more he is ashamed for himself and for his family and he did not want to be burden to them.
A year pass and nobody knew where he was or why he was gone. In the meantime Joseph transferred from one hideout to another to avoid being spotted by his friends. He eats leaves, roots and whatever fruits and trees could give him.
Finally, word came to the Medical Mission Sisters that there was such a man hiding I the woods. A couple of them dared the hills to look for him. After a long search they found him, all covered with sores-“a worm and no man!” to make the long story short, they succeeded in treating him, giving him cloths and reviving him with food and what is more, they were able to convince him to come down to Djongaya Leprosarium where he could be given proper care. Later, a Belgian priest urged him to transfer to pare Pare where he could be the leader of a small Catholic group in Lauling.
Joseph has been the sole organizer of the small group of the Catholics, for years. It is through him that reach out to the handful member scattered among the one hundred Moslem families in the compound.
What strikes me is the joyful attitude, which does all these things. One day he said: “Sister, I had so many vices before I got sick that I wonder know how could I found my way to God were it not for this malady. It is though that’s makes me grateful to him in spite of it all…”
Now and then I bring friends to our prayer services in the Leprosarium. One day I invited a 17 year old to one of this meeting. She listened intently to the sharing based on the Gospel reading of the day. On our way home, the girl wept bitterly as if her heart would break! “I can’t accept the idea that those patients who have almost nothing can glorify the Lord so much more than we who are endowed with everything!”
The Leper have thought me too that it is living out our lives in close union with CHRIST THE CENTER,that we can enjoy that the inner happiness and peace which no money can buy.
Sr. Leonora Miñoza a Medical Mission Sister, has been a missionary in Indonesia for the past sixteen years.