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"You
are truly the Christ-sent Samaritans to them and to all of us." A Letter of Thanksgiving from the Bishop of Borongan February 9, 2005
Your Excellency: Greetings of Peace and Love. Please accept our deepest appreciation and thanks
for the just concluded medical mission which was conducted by the Joliet
Diocesan Missions headed by Dr. Victor P. Trinkus, M.D.
I am well aware that you sent the group to us. And so they came not only as professional doctors of medicine
who could very well attend to our indigent sick people, but more so as
missionaries who are sharing their life of faith in Christ.
For eleven days they were mired in the hospital, attending to the
sick many of whom came from far-flung places.
They always started the day with a Mass presided by Fr. David
Dillon. After that they
make a round to see the patients whom they have operated and attended to
the day before. This
visitation is worth noting, for there one could see how the faces of the
patients lit up at the presence of the missionary doctors, at their
words of “how are you”, at their concern.
Yes, more than two hundred were attended to and they are all well
now, praising God that a medical mission happened in their lives. Of course, there were still more patients who could
not be served. In the
evaluation that was made by the medical team, the hospital staff and
representatives of the diocese of Borongan, it was observed that the
patients who could not be served were the most indigent.
Yet, they could not be operated on for the result of their
preliminary testing would not warrant them to undergo the operation –
some have lung problem, others have blood pressure problems, and others
just too weak to withstand the rigor of the knife.
The other reason for denying them was the lack of efficient
facilities in our hospital. Some
incisions are just too risky to be guaranteed by the poor equipment that
it had. The words that I said during the farewell program
which the Diocese of Borongan tendered in their honor are addressed not
only to them, but most especially to you.
I said these words: “It
is with utmost sincerity that I say these simple words to you, the
members of the Medical Mission of the Diocese of Joliet, “thank
you”. I utter these words
in the name of my diocese and in particular, in the name of all the
patients that you have touched, consoled, given courage, healed.
This morning when we celebrated together the Mass of Thanksgiving
in the Provincial Hospital where you have been for days and end working,
I saw so many of the faces of the sick lit up with joy.
You are truly the Christ-sent Samaritans to them and to all of
us. “But I am doubly happy in the realization that
the mission extended to the Diocese of Borongan is not only just a
medical mission. It is a
mission in the original sense of the word.
For, originally, mission is identified with the act of Christ
sending the apostles to bring the good news to the people, to expel
demons, to forgive sins, heal the sick.
The Joliet Medical Mission came to the Diocese of Borongan
because of the act of sending by the Bishop of the Diocese of Joliet.
As his power of commissioning comes directly from Christ, he
being the successor of the apostles, the Joliet Medical Mission is not
just a medical activity – it is a missionary undertaking.
In this context the medical and surgical works of our doctors and
nurses here partake the nature of religious activities that well out
from a deep-seated faith. In
this medical mission I could boldly say that faith, hope and charity
comes into play. With this
faith, the doctors and the nurses see in the patients, not just a
suffering human person, but recognize the face of Christ the Redeemer in
each of them. It is this
faith that impels them to do their utmost in caring for the sick, as the
Church has always been doing in the course of her history.
Hope nourishes them with sufficient courage and determination,
despite the obstacles that come their way, to go on and persevere in
this mission. Finally,
charity, love, compassion, empathy, solidarity, always present to them
the right approach to the different situations, allowing them to
perceive the uniqueness and nuanced need of each individual patient,
thus responding in the most appropriate way.
With this spirituality, they could say to each patient:
“Courage, God has not forgotten you.
Christ suffers with you and for you.
Offer up your sufferings to Jesus and you can collaborate with
him in the redemption of the world.” Now, medical mission of the Diocese of Joliet is
gone. But their presence
lingers on in the memory of us all, some muttering words of praises and
thanks, others commenting on their medical skills and deep faith, and
many more wondering whether they are still coming back.
Yes, indeed, I too muse with them, are they ever to return? Again, thank you. With sentiments of deep esteem and high personal
regard, I remain Sincerely yours in Christ, +Leonardo Y. Medroso, DD Bishop of Borongan
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