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Medical Mission
ROSA
MYSTICA
organised
by ACIM ASIA
Sampaloc, Rizal, (Near Manila) Philippines
July 25 - 31, 2009
Preparation: July 25-26
The new missionaries are ready
Fr.
Daniel Couture and the
faithful Yolly Gamutan, RN
Rain, mosquitoes, choking heat, could not stop the determination of these sixty volunteers of the whole world. They came from Ireland (1), England (1), France (22), South Korea (5), Singapore (1), USA (3) and the Philippines (35). They all came to extend a loving hand to those acquainted with dereliction and poverty.
This year’s location – Sampaloc, Rizal, at about 2 hours East of Manila – welcomed the generous Oblates and Bethanians, who came to add to the Catholic nature of our mission. In spite of all this good will, we expect the mission to be difficult.
Many
tons of gravel have to be spread, bucket after bucket ,
by Fr Marcille SSPX and his team, to cover the muddy ground
We are far for the ‘comfort’ of last year, thanks to the
governor of Sarangani province. Here, no gymnasium, no policemen in
charge of order. Alone, the little chapel of St Philomena seems to be
awaiting the participants of this third Medical Mission.
Tarps have been set up to protect the patients and the medical team from the monsoon rains. At one moment, all hands had to be summoned to get the bus out of the muddy road shoulder.
Nearly two tons of medicine have been collected and are awaiting in their boxes to be organized on simple planks. Thousands of rosaries and scapulars will be given out, since the majority of people are Catholic.
2 tons
of medicine which arrived
in the middle of the night
The first mass of the mission was celebrated by Fr. Daniel Couture for
the volunteers and the local faithful to draw charity at its divine
source. A few yards away, in a tiny chapel, hidden in the midst of poor
people’s homes, two other masses are said.
The
heart of the Medical Mission :
the Daily Sacrifice of the Mass
Tons of water fall and rip a grey sky, everyone’s fatigue from
long intercontinental trips is slowly overcome, and the missionaries
are ready to meet tomorrow’s challenge…
The volunteers being ‘oriented’ before “D-Day”
In the last two Medical Missions, 5,000 patients were treated. What
can we expect this time? Actually numbers don’t really matter
when charity is in everyone’s heart…]
Near the chapel, children play the old time favorite: marbles.
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