Joliet Diocese Partnership In Mission News and Stories

The Oikos Sisters of Borongan: Prayer, Holiness, and Service to Poorest of the Poor

by Tom Radel, CRNA

We recently returned from our sixth mission trip to the small village of Borongan in the Province of Eastern Samar on the Island of Samar in the Philippines. Our group of over 30 volunteers is based in Joliet, IL. We are a small part of the Joliet Diocesan Missions which sends mission groups to all parts of the world throughout the year.

During our two weeks in Borongan, our physicians and nurses were privileged to care for over 500 patients. Approximately 200 patients received surgical procedures including cleft lip repair, hysterectomy, goiter (thyroid) surgery, cataract surgery, hernia repair and a variety of other procedures. Many more were seen in the medical clinic seeking treatment for high blood pressure, diabetes and various other conditions.

In addition to our duties at the Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital, we have developed a close relationship with a group of four religious sisters who are known as the Oikos Sisters. Ten years ago, they opened a rescue home for women and children in Borongan and named it Oikos Ptochos Theou.

Oikos Ptochos Theou is the Greek name for the Poor Household of God. The sisters, inspired by the life of St. Francis of Assisi, are committed to live a life of prayer, holiness, and service to God's very poor. They believe they are called to experience God's presence in the suffering and the a fflicted and they care for them as God's special children. Observing the evangelical counsels, their lives intimately combine contemplation with apostolic action.

Over the years, we have often told the stories of the children that have been rescued from some very difficult situations and are now being cared for by the Oikos sisters. Many of the children were removed from homes that included an abusive parent. Others were abandoned by family members suffering from mental illness. Still others have parents who may be in prison or simply don't have the financial ability to properly care for their children. The sisters also provide temporary food and shelter for women who might be unwed mothers or perhaps in need of lodging for their family as they escape an abusive husband. An entire book could be written telling each of the stories, one more fascinating than the next.

Caring for these women and children certainly sounds like a full time job. But in addition to this ministry, the Oikos sisters regularly visit other towns and villages in Eastern Samar spreading the Gospel and caring for God's Children wherever they may be. We were able to witness one such trip on Saturday, February 6, 2010.

During the week, the sisters went to the market and purchased 110 pounds of spaghetti, 220 pounds of rice, spaghetti sauce, 50 pounds of small hot dogs, 500 pieces of bread, 500 juice boxes, plates, forks and some candies in preparation for our trip to the small barrio (neighborhood) of Siha which is approximately 10 miles from Borongan. Early Saturday morning (about 3:30a.m.), the sisters began preparation of the spaghetti by cooking it on their wood stove. By the time the sisters picked us up from our hotel at 8:30 Saturday morning, they had already prepared a delicious spaghetti meal for the more than 500 children we were to meet that day in Siha and another tiny neighborhood along the way.

In addition to feeding the children, the sisters prepared 5 pound bags of rice to be distributed to each family in Siha. And there were enough rosaries for each citizen of the barrio to receive a rosary as well.

Prior to the distribution of food there was singing and games for the children and adults alike. Our personal favorite is "I love you Father deep down in my heart" - to see the sisters teaching this song complete with motions is a beautiful sight indeed. The games include sack races (utilizing the rice sacks that were purchased that week), three-legged races, and of course, a piñata which brings such joy to the community.

We are so grateful to have the Oikos family as part of our family. Please remember them always in your prayers and be assured of their prayers for you.