FOURTEEN YEARS OF HOPE
PLEASE FORGIVE “CIRCULAR” LETTER BUT, AS I WRITE, I THINK OF EACH ONE OF YOU AND JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE PICTURE OF HOW THE “MISSION” IS GOING HERE.
TIME IS SIMPLY FLYING AND EACH DAY IS SO FILLED HERE THAT THERE ISN'T MUCH OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT AND WRITE INDIVIDUAL LETTERS.
IN THE HOSPITAL THERE ARE SEVEN FLOORS WITH SICK CHILDREN IN EACH ONE. WE VISIT WHERE THE NEEDS ARE GREATEST AND FLOOR 5 IS TOP PRIORITY. HERE ARE CHILDREN, FROM TINY BABIES TO 18 YEAR OLDS, ALL WITH CANCER IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER.
TO BRING JOY THERE IS OUR CONSTANT AIM AND IT IS AMAZING HOW THESE CHILDREN APPRECIATE DOLLS, CARS, BOOKS, PERFUMES OR JEWELLERY. CONDITIONS REGARDING THE HOSPITAL BUILDING WERE DRAB - TO SAY THE LEAST- WHEN WE CAME HERE IN 1991. DOCTORS 'SALARIES WERE LOW AND THEIR SPIRITS TOO! THANKS TO OUR MERCY HEADQUARTERS IN LONDON AND TO OUR MOTHER GENERAL AND TEAM AND MANY BIG SUPPORTERS WE WERE ABLE TO BRING BIG CHANGES IN BEAUTIFYING ALL THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE EMERGENCY ENTRANCE, SEVERAL SURGERIES, INTENSIVE CARE UNIT AND THE TOILETS ON TWO FLOORS. IN THE REHAB WE MADE BEAUTIFUL THE THREE ROOMS AND TOILETS WHERE CHILDREN, AWAITING VARIOUS THERAPIES, HAVE A HOME FOR SEVERAL MONTHS OR LONGER.
APART FROM THE HOSPITAL, WE ARE INVOLVED IN HELPING A PARISH WITH CARE FOR VERY NEEDY ELDERLY PEOPLE. FOR THESE WE HAVE SET UP A “MEALS ON WHEELS” DAILY PROGRAMME AND, FOR CHILDREN OF THE STREET, WE PROVIDE FREE MEALS DAILY IN A LOCAL RESTAURANT. IT IS AMAZING TO SEE HOW MUCH THE LIVES AND FACES OF THE ELDERLY HAVE CHANGED HAVING THAT GUARANTEED MEAL DAILY! PRIOR TO THIS PROGRAMME, SOME HAD MISSED MANY MEALS AND SELDOM HAD THEY HAD MEAT TO EAT!
“NAZARETH, OUR SISTERS OF MERCY APARTMENT FOR LITTLE ABANDONED CHILDREN, IS STILL A VERY HAPPY PLACE AND SOME OF OUR OLDER ORPHANS HAVE DONE WELL AT WORK E.G. VIRGIL AND NICUSOR, TWO BROTHERS FOR WHOM WE PROVIDED AN APARTMENT ELEVEN YEARS AGO, ARE DOING WELL, VIRGIL IS ON HIS SEVENTH CRUISE AROUND THE WORLD AS A WAITER ON A CRUISE-SHIP WHILE NICUSoR HAS A JOB IN IRELAND WITH KERRY-FOODS. THEY HAVE LET THEIR APARTMENT HERE TO A LAWYER.
TWO OTHER ORPHANS JAN AND FLORIN HAVE GONE TO UNIVERSITY AND I HAD GREAT JOY A FEW DAYS AGO WHEN A YOUNG BOY, WORKING IN A LARGE SHOPPING MALL AS A CLEANER, CAME TO ME SAYING “SISTER DO YOU REMEMBER ME YOU GAVE ME MONEY OUTSIDE THE CATHEDRAL?! I HAVE LEFT THE ORPHANAGE AND HAVE A JOB HERE. I GET £ 60 A MONTH AND I LIVE IN A RENTED ROOM”. RAYS OF SUNSHINE LIKE THIS ARE AN INSPIRATION!
DAILY, HOWEVER, WE ARE MET WITH FAMILY PROBLEMS. THE LATEST IS A FAMILY OF NINE CHILDREN RANGING FROM 7 TO 22 YEARS. THERE ARE TWO SETS OF TWINS! MOTHER DIED LAST DECEMBER AND FATHER DISAPPEARED. THE 22 YEAR OLD TWIN GIRLS PROMISED MAM THEY WOULD CARE FOR THE FAMILY. THEY ARE MAKING A BRAVE EFFORT, KEEPING THEM AT SCHOOL AND ALL SEEM BRIGHT AND INTELLIGENT.
THE CEILING OF THE GIRLS' BEDROOM IS FALLING DOWN AND THE STOVES FOR THE HEATING ARE NOT WORKING. THIS WILL BE A BIG PROBLEM IN WINTER AS THE FLOORS ARE EARTH AND WALLS ARE DAMP.
THERE ARE MANY STORIES TO TELL...
MEANTIME WE KNOW WE ARE NEVER ALONE FOR THE ANGELS SURROUND US AND WE HAVE YOUR PRAYERS.
WITH LOVE AND GRATITUDE
SISTER ALOISYOUS
PLEASE FORGIVE “CIRCULAR” LETTER BUT, AS I WRITE, I THINK OF EACH ONE OF YOU AND JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE PICTURE OF HOW THE “MISSION” IS GOING HERE.
TIME IS SIMPLY FLYING AND EACH DAY IS SO FILLED HERE THAT THERE ISN'T MUCH OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT AND WRITE INDIVIDUAL LETTERS.
IN THE HOSPITAL THERE ARE SEVEN FLOORS WITH SICK CHILDREN IN EACH ONE. WE VISIT WHERE THE NEEDS ARE GREATEST AND FLOOR 5 IS TOP PRIORITY. HERE ARE CHILDREN, FROM TINY BABIES TO 18 YEAR OLDS, ALL WITH CANCER IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER.
TO BRING JOY THERE IS OUR CONSTANT AIM AND IT IS AMAZING HOW THESE CHILDREN APPRECIATE DOLLS, CARS, BOOKS, PERFUMES OR JEWELLERY. CONDITIONS REGARDING THE HOSPITAL BUILDING WERE DRAB - TO SAY THE LEAST- WHEN WE CAME HERE IN 1991. DOCTORS 'SALARIES WERE LOW AND THEIR SPIRITS TOO! THANKS TO OUR MERCY HEADQUARTERS IN LONDON AND TO OUR MOTHER GENERAL AND TEAM AND MANY BIG SUPPORTERS WE WERE ABLE TO BRING BIG CHANGES IN BEAUTIFYING ALL THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE EMERGENCY ENTRANCE, SEVERAL SURGERIES, INTENSIVE CARE UNIT AND THE TOILETS ON TWO FLOORS. IN THE REHAB WE MADE BEAUTIFUL THE THREE ROOMS AND TOILETS WHERE CHILDREN, AWAITING VARIOUS THERAPIES, HAVE A HOME FOR SEVERAL MONTHS OR LONGER.
APART FROM THE HOSPITAL, WE ARE INVOLVED IN HELPING A PARISH WITH CARE FOR VERY NEEDY ELDERLY PEOPLE. FOR THESE WE HAVE SET UP A “MEALS ON WHEELS” DAILY PROGRAMME AND, FOR CHILDREN OF THE STREET, WE PROVIDE FREE MEALS DAILY IN A LOCAL RESTAURANT. IT IS AMAZING TO SEE HOW MUCH THE LIVES AND FACES OF THE ELDERLY HAVE CHANGED HAVING THAT GUARANTEED MEAL DAILY! PRIOR TO THIS PROGRAMME, SOME HAD MISSED MANY MEALS AND SELDOM HAD THEY HAD MEAT TO EAT!
“NAZARETH, OUR SISTERS OF MERCY APARTMENT FOR LITTLE ABANDONED CHILDREN, IS STILL A VERY HAPPY PLACE AND SOME OF OUR OLDER ORPHANS HAVE DONE WELL AT WORK E.G. VIRGIL AND NICUSOR, TWO BROTHERS FOR WHOM WE PROVIDED AN APARTMENT ELEVEN YEARS AGO, ARE DOING WELL, VIRGIL IS ON HIS SEVENTH CRUISE AROUND THE WORLD AS A WAITER ON A CRUISE-SHIP WHILE NICUSoR HAS A JOB IN IRELAND WITH KERRY-FOODS. THEY HAVE LET THEIR APARTMENT HERE TO A LAWYER.
TWO OTHER ORPHANS JAN AND FLORIN HAVE GONE TO UNIVERSITY AND I HAD GREAT JOY A FEW DAYS AGO WHEN A YOUNG BOY, WORKING IN A LARGE SHOPPING MALL AS A CLEANER, CAME TO ME SAYING “SISTER DO YOU REMEMBER ME YOU GAVE ME MONEY OUTSIDE THE CATHEDRAL?! I HAVE LEFT THE ORPHANAGE AND HAVE A JOB HERE. I GET £ 60 A MONTH AND I LIVE IN A RENTED ROOM”. RAYS OF SUNSHINE LIKE THIS ARE AN INSPIRATION!
DAILY, HOWEVER, WE ARE MET WITH FAMILY PROBLEMS. THE LATEST IS A FAMILY OF NINE CHILDREN RANGING FROM 7 TO 22 YEARS. THERE ARE TWO SETS OF TWINS! MOTHER DIED LAST DECEMBER AND FATHER DISAPPEARED. THE 22 YEAR OLD TWIN GIRLS PROMISED MAM THEY WOULD CARE FOR THE FAMILY. THEY ARE MAKING A BRAVE EFFORT, KEEPING THEM AT SCHOOL AND ALL SEEM BRIGHT AND INTELLIGENT.
THE CEILING OF THE GIRLS' BEDROOM IS FALLING DOWN AND THE STOVES FOR THE HEATING ARE NOT WORKING. THIS WILL BE A BIG PROBLEM IN WINTER AS THE FLOORS ARE EARTH AND WALLS ARE DAMP.
THERE ARE MANY STORIES TO TELL...
MEANTIME WE KNOW WE ARE NEVER ALONE FOR THE ANGELS SURROUND US AND WE HAVE YOUR PRAYERS.
WITH LOVE AND GRATITUDE
SISTER ALOISYOUS