Christmas Letter from Ebola Country, Sierra Leone, West Africa
Fr. Luigi Brioni, Xaverian Missionary in Sierra Leone for many years shares a candid look at Christmas in Sierra Leone at a time when the Ebola virus is claiming many lives. Please pray.
Dear Friends and Xaverian Brothers to my heart:
It’s Christmas again this year, with the Babe that never says NO to be with us and for us all. Last year I spent the last ten days of December in hospital with serious malaria; this year Ebola has come to our Country and keeps everyone afraid and sorrowful. But I remain with you (without Ebola!) with my prayer and best wishes, with His heart and mine!
The situation now in the Country is still tragic, in spite of all the authorities’ promises and people’s expectations. Even yesterday 27 people have died of Ebola, and in the first two weeks of December 550. Many International Organizations have come to our help, but still there is no light by the end of the tunnel. The Catholic Church is making herself very present to the Nation by instructing people to avoid infection, by assisting quarantined families and villages with food and money, by taking care of some of the orphans that Ebola has made everywhere.
In my own area of Fadugu and in our whole District of hills and mountains the virus has remained fairly under control and at present we are “still” free from Ebola. But anything can happen at any time. That’s why the Government has decided a total lockdown of our northern part of the Country for 5 days beginning tomorrow morning. The only exceptions allowed would be the Masses on Christmas Day. But no public festivities, caroling, parties, football games … So our Christmas this year will be a very quiet one, just hoping that the Angels of Bethlehem will come nonetheless to visit us with their song of glory!
Personally I feel OK and my health holds on. But, as you can imagine, my heart cries to the Lord as I see our people living in fear and confusion and more misery, with children without education and traders without markets! To our poor in the area we try to be present with small money to make their Christmas meals less sober than usual. However we missionaries are far away from solving any problem this Ebola has created to the Country.
No matter what, at my Mass of Christmas, it will be my great joy to think of you all in adoration to the Little One, who is the only Great One of the world. And He will not fail to smile at all of us, both there and here, with the supreme smile of God.
May Bethlehem give us in Sierra Leone the joy of Jesus’ fraternal conviviality also with your prayer. Thank you.
Blessed Christmas to you all with my love and my missing.
Fr. Luigi Brioni, sx
Xaverian Missionaries
Sierra Leone, West Africa
