reaching out: GROUP PHOTO

Friday, September 24, 2010

GROUP PHOTO

On arrival to Tanay, on the evening of July 24

Departing for Gensan, in the morning of July 25

Gensan Team with some local volunteers before returning to Tanay, in the morning of August 4

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THE VOLUNTEERS

FOREIGN:
1. Fussler Sylvia. French
2. Legrand, Christine, French
3. Lopez, Elizabeth, American
4. O'Boyle, Victor, French
5. Remy, Charles Hubert, French

RELIGIOUS:
1. Bro. Matthias
2. Herbert Rustila
3. Rev. Fr. Albert Ghela
4. Rev. Fr. Daniel Couture

LOCAL:
1. Dagatan, Judith
2. Navales, Maricar
3. Intes, Patrick
4. Montuya, Godwin
5. Mondia, John Aldy
6. Daggi, Justin May Daryll
7. Hibanada, Angelica
8. Gerondio, Gretchen
9. Villajos, Annalie
10. Intes, Wilmar
11. Jubelag, Mark Jerard Oliver
12. Babate, Jerome Faustino
13. Jubelag, Cecilia
14. Lisondra, Corazon
15. Montuya, Rosenda
16. Guillero, Amelia
18. Januto, Nelly
19. Maravilla, Marie Rosalie
20. Babate, Benjamina
21. Loren, Aldy
22. Wilson, Kody
23. Manongol, Julvin
24. Reponte, Jovy
25. Escolano, Esther

History of the Mission in the Hospital

Since 2007, ACIM-Asia has been helping patients who come to the office begging for alms. Some of the beggars come from the city hospital. They either ask for medicines or food or money to pay their hospital bill so that they can go home.

On February 2008, when ACIM-Asia brought a number of patients from the mission area in Apopong to the city hospital, the social welfare officer marked ACIM-Asia and began sending very poor patients to the office.

After some training to the volunteers and office staff, the spiritual apostolate started. Patients who begged help from the office were visited in the hospital and given sacramentals. They were invited to the sacraments and were taught catechism as needed. Dying patients were exhorted to receive Extreme Unction or Baptism, as needed. Parents of very ill children were instructed about the necessity of baptism and given instruction on how to do emergency baptism.

On April 2008, Rev. Fr. Daniel Couture visited the city hospital and noted the long line of patients at the social welfare office.

Since then priests coming from Our Lady of Victories Church would come to the hospital to hear Confessions or give Extreme Unction as requested.

Medicine stocks at the office that were nearing the expiration date were given to the hospital to be given to the neediest patients.

This year Rosaries, Brown Scapulars and holy pictures were distributed to the interested patients. Fr. Couture gave emergency Baptism to a critically ill patient and heard the confessions of some patients.

HISTORY OF THE MISSION (in the jail)

On November 2006, while still working as a clinical instructor in the college of nursing, Yolly mentioned to her fellow clinical instructors the request from an American Nurse to come to a poor country to do a nursing mission.

Rona, a part-time nurse instructor who worked as a jail guard for the female ward expressed interest in the organization of the first Rosa Mystica Health Mission. She also expressed interest in joining ACIM-Asia. She was one of the few nurses who first helped identify possible nursing mission areas for Rosa Mystica Health Mission. In one of the discussions, she proposed the city jail as one of the venues of the mission.

Not quite confident yet about bringing foreigners in the jail, Yolly and Rona decided to schedule a mission for the inmates outside the Rosa Mystica Health Mission. They agreed that the mission will only be a hygiene mission and a spiritual mission for the character formation of the inmates.

Yolly then proposed to the Legion of Mary to visit the city jail and conduct a spiritual apostolate in the area. For lack of resources, the Legion of Mary declined.

Later, in 2008, nurse Rona referred a sick inmate to ACIM-Asia. The patient was suffering from Pott's Disease, and was too poor to buy medicines. Working on a tight budget, the city jail administration could not afford the medicines for the patient. ACIM-Asia supplied medicines to the patient. In 2009, ACIM-Asia also sent a few packs of vitamins and medicines for the inmates.

This year 2010, when the medical mission plans for Gensan-Sarangani were cancelled, the city jail was the first venue chosen for the spiritual mission and livelihood training. Rona was informed of the opportunity, and she gladly facilitated the approval for the mission.

On June 19, the organizing team visited the jail to have a preliminary assessment of the condition of the inmates. Dr. Emeline checked on the sick patients and made prescriptions. It was agreed that the medicines will be sent to the nurse in charge of the infirmary who was very familiar with the physical ailments of the inmates. The surgical patients were identified, and they were informed that referrals will be made with surgeons who accepted ACIM-Asia patients on social welfare fee or for free.

After 2 more visits to plan the actual mission, the program for August 3 was approved: Livelihood training, catechism seminar on the importance of the Rosary and the Scapular, and the importance of the Sacrament of Confession; and then a lecture on the Shroud of Turin.

Detergent powder production was demonstrated. Ointment production was also shown to the inmates. Free packets of detergent and free jars of ointment were distributed. The jail administration was happy for the skill on detergent production because it meant a reduction in the budget for the laundry in the jail.

The inmates and the inmates' welfare officer were happy with the rosary-making skill because it was not just an ordinary craft, being also a spiritually uplifting hobby.

Legion of Mary members assisted in the conduct of the mission. They facilitated in the sacramental confession of 35 inmates. The confessions lasted into the night, beyond the normal visiting hours. The priest, notwithstanding his illness and fatigue, gladly ministered the inmates who had not been to Confession for some years.

The conference on the Shroud of Turin had indeed made some impression on the inmates.
Deo gratias.