Passionist Fr. Edward Beck and Rabbi David Wolpe – A faith debate on the ‘ground zero’ cross and government prayer events.
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Heavy Rains make a Bad Situation in Honduras Worse
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- Torrential rain
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- You can see through the roof to the outside
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- More holes in the roof
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- New dental chairs damaged
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- Damage to interior ceiling
The staff at St. Benedict’s Clinic in Tegucigalpa, Honduras has been working long hours in response to the dengue fever epidemic. Now, with unrelenting, torrential rains and wind their situation has gone from bad to to worse. There has been damage to the clinic. The staff fears that the water that came in through the roof might cause an electrical short circuit and cause a fire. There is virtually no help from the government who says that they don’t have any money. Until they can get more money for the roof they are going to buy some sheets of plastic to cover things. This morning we received the photos above and the message below from Hernán Reyes Soto, a staff member at St. Benedict’s.
We have been hours without electric power because of a strong storm with thunder and lightening… It was very difficult to leave the clinic. There were cave-ins at both exits and very strong currents of water. In these last few days there has been much damage especially in Tegucigalpa. Again, there were many houses that were destroyed, trees fallen, markets flooded, cave-ins and closing of streets, boulevards and highways…
Today I was at the clinic as it rained and I could see that the damage was even greater than I had expected. There is a lot of damage in all areas of the building. I observed that various doctors were unable to perform their duties due to the quantity of water that fell inside their offices.
The injection room has closed its doors. Files are wet. Today pieces of ice fell like stones with great force and I believe it has created even greater damage. The employees became very frightened due to the large quantity of water that was leaking into the offices. At the offices of odontology and microbiology it seemed as if they had a ceiling shower from the quantity of water that was leaking. I took photos and video with the camera on my phone. But the camera on the cell phone doesn’t focus well enough. Either way I sent the pictures and video for you to see… I do not want to cause inconveniences but when I say this matter is urgent, it’s because it is urgent, I understand what was said to me, but the problem is that it rains a lot now. We should have made repairs in the summer but I understand that there weren’t enough resources available and that there aren’t any now. I worry a lot about not being able to find a solution… the government will not help anyone for now… they say there is no money and now there is possibility of a general strike of all the unions, because after 8 months of trying to negotiate their minimum wage salaries they have not come into agreement… There are other strikes by institutes of security as that of the teachers… If I give more details I can write many pages of so many conflicts that are occurring here…
Today I thought about other minor solutions, but I do not find solutions because each time that repairs are done after a short time the damage is greater… On the other hand we cannot make repairs with so much humidity… you can only change it…
At the beginning I couldn’t understand why the electric system began to fail, but today I could see something that worries me a lot: It is that there are filtrations of water on lamps and this can cause a short circuit and a fire… it is another reason why we stopped attending patients, since it is necessary to turn off all the lights and disconnect some machinery so that they wouldn’t get damaged… We need help as soon as possible…Please do something quickly… excuse the pressure…
Hernán Reyes Soto – St. Benedict’s Clinic
Translation by: Jocelyn Padilla
Please consider an emergency donation to assist St. Benedict’s Clinic. Please make checks payable to PASSIONIST MISSIONARIES.
Passionist Missionaries Inc.
526 Monastery Place
Union City NJ 07087-3398
Tel: 888/806-6606
E-mail: DLisotta@cpprov.org
Donate on-line by clicking the button below.
The Donate Now button will redirect you to Caring Habits, Inc. (CHI) which is the credit card processing company for The Passionist Missionaries website. You can direct your donation to St. Benedict’s by choosing Honduras – Dengue Fever Fund from the drop-down menu
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Dr. Anthony Alessi: On my 3rd visit to Haiti after quake, I’ve seen some changes for the better
St. Damian’s Hospital is the only free children’s hospital in Port-au-Prince.
Dr. Anthony Alessi, one of the physicians who traveled to Haiti to work with Fr. Rick Frechette in the aftermath of the earthquake reports on his latest visit to the island.
- The Haitian medical staff of St. Damian’s has largely returned, but the number of children needing care has increased dramatically. Mothers and infants begin gathering at the gate at 4:30 a.m. for outpatient care. The emergency room is seeing record numbers of infants, many suffering from malnutrition and related diseases. A new EEG machine has been donated by an Italian charity and staff was sent from Verona, Italy, to train Haitian technologists.
- A CT scanner donated by the McDonald’s Foundation of Germany will be arriving soon. It will be only the third working CT scanner in Port-au-Prince, and the images will be transmitted to Backus Hospital for expert interpretation by members of the Norwich Diagnostic Imaging Associates.
- St. Vincent’s School for deaf and blind children was run by a group of sisters in downtown Port-au-Prince. On Jan. 12, the school was reduced to a pile of stone. Some children perished in the school, but the majority of almost 200 students have been left without a school while the sisters regroup. Father Frechette has opted to connect shipping containers and build two classrooms, restrooms and a fenced-in play area to provide a temporary location for these needy children. It is scheduled to open this week.
- The biggest development has been the opening of The St. Luke Family Health Center. Its temporary structure consists of well-used shipping containers connected by corrugated metal roofing and a concrete floor. The first patients had primarily orthopedic earthquake-related problems requiring corrective surgery. Soon to be added is a trauma center with four operating rooms that is being constructed in Europe.
Please consider a donation to help the Passionists in their ministry to people living in poverty: Please make checks payable to PASSIONIST MISSIONARIES.
Passionist Missionaries Inc.
526 Monastery Place
Union City NJ 07087-3398
Tel: 888/806-6606
E-mail: DLisotta@cpprov.org
Donate on-line by clicking the button below.
The Donate Now button will redirect you to Caring Habits, Inc. (CHI) which is the credit card processing company for The Passionist Missionaries website.
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Healthcare From the Heart
As a volunteer in rural, Jamaica, my time is mostly spent in a place called Mt. Friendship. Just as the name reveals, I give myself to this community as a friend. I make home visits to the sick and shut-ins, as well as to many families. I work in a school, where I try to tackle the issue of literacy and give my love to the children. I offer what I can and receive joy and wisdom from the people I serve in Jamaica.
As a nurse, I have been able to help many of my friends here in Jamaica stay healthy. I have become a resource for information and help to many. I have been a listening ear when things seem hopeless, and try my best to connect others with resources that are necessary for good health. Walking the hills and dirt roads of rural Jamaica, with my blood pressure cuff on hand, has become a daily occurrence for me. I frequently hear voices say, “Miss, come take my pressure today!” I look forward to my visits, where I can help others stay healthy and happy.
In March, a group of students from Elms College came to volunteer with us over their Spring break. With their help and the help of my roommates, I was able to organize a health clinic in Mt. Friendship, where people could come to get their blood pressure and blood sugar tested, and see the doctor if needed. This clinic offered easy access to healthcare at no cost to the people. Over 60 people in the community took advantage of this opportunity. Because healthcare is not easily accessible or realistically affordable for those who live in Mt. Friendship or any other rural community throughout Jamaica, organizing clinics such as these are answered prayers for many people.
It has been so rewarding to help the people of my mission community with their health issues. It is a way for me to show my love for the people I see each day. To me, nursing is accompaniment. We stand by the side of those suffering, become a voice for those who do not have one, and make sure people have the resources and ability to live a healthy life. I hope that my time in Mt. Friendship will reflect one value I hold close to heart: that God wants his people to care for one another.
Tracy Petersante is serving in Jamaica with Passionist Volunteers International.
Learn more about Passionist Volunteers International at: http://www.passionistvolunteers.org.
Learn more about the Passionists in Jamaica at: http://www.thepassionists.org/Jamaica.html and http://www.passionistsisters.org/CCM.html
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A Contrast in Education
Jamaica’s state of education, particularly in terms of funding and resources, is quite dismal. The gravity of the situation becomes very clear when you witness children fighting over something as basic as a pencil. The fight is not over something trivial, like design or color; it’s a response to the reality of scarcity.
In the midst of such realities there exist low literacy rates, understaffed schools, large class sizes, limited use of technology, high drop-out rates and a low percentage of educators who hold advanced degrees in their field.
However, in contrast to all the disheartening challenges that such a system brings to its people, Jamaica does educate her children in a way that reaches far beyond any amount of funding. There is a connection, almost a sort of bond between the child and his/her environment. They do not act apart from the world, but rather within the world.
Amidst this relationship comes an awakening of the senses which can often times become clouded by artificial toys and trinkets and theories of how a 21st century child should play, learn and grow. This child learns through imaginative play. He feels the ground between his toes as he runs down the mountain, balancing a simple stick and wheel. He is in awe of a friend who climbs for a juicy, ripe mango high up in the tree.
Two school girls learn rhyme and rhythm as they sing, “…down by the banks with the hanky panky where the bullfrog jumps from bank to banky with a hip hop hip hop hop skiddle diddle turtle pop!”, while playing a popular hand game. A child learns of mathematics as he designs and builds a car made from twigs and string and bottle caps. And as she runs, the young girl understands the world around her. She is connected to the trees that bring her food and the streams that give her water and the mountain breeze that gives her reprieve from the Caribbean heat.
This education of the world and the connectedness we have with it is free. Not even a system of scarcity in school funding and resources can take that away. Yes, there must be increased support for schools in less-developed countries and this is not to make light of very harsh realities. But, Jamaica can teach us a lesson, not only of education, but, of life. Take your shoes off, be within the world, awaken your senses.
Matt Messing is serving in Jamaica with Passionist Volunteers International.
Learn more about Passionist Volunteers International at: http://www.passionistvolunteers.org.
Learn more about the Passionists in Jamaica at: http://www.thepassionists.org/Jamaica.html and http://www.passionistsisters.org/CCM.html
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