We Thought to Offer Spiritual Relief

I recently received an email from a friend of mine in the Philippines, Sr. Maria Delores. These sisters run a wonderful center and home for blind children in Quezon City. I had the privilege to be with them many times during my own work in the Philippines.

Her letter expressed the overwhelming sense of compassion for the victims in Haiti that is reverberating worldwide, particularly from quarters that are unable to send checks to help. I wanted to share her letter and the efforts of poor, blind children to reach out to the victims of Haiti:

Dear Father Carl,

There is much suffering, family loss, shortage of water and food at present in Haiti.  Since we at Margaretha Home are not able to send material relief or used clothing to Haiti ( as we did with the Ondoy victims), we thought to offer and give them spiritual relief.

 All of us – the blind girls, the housemothers and staff and the Sisters –  offer our afternoon merienda or snack or coffee break, and the amount saved was used to offer a Mass for our brothers and sisters in Haiti,  who are suffering very much.  We had a Mass offered for them in our Margaretha Home Chapel this afternoon.  A bottle of water helped us to remember our thirsty Haiti brothers and sisters, including the volunteers, who are experiencing thirst due to water shortage.  Everytime we drink water, we remember and pray for them.  So during the offertory, we offered a poster made of newspaper clippings about the Haiti earthquake, put together by our blind special residents, and a bottle of water.  

 As we write this email, we thought to ask you to be one with us in remembering and praying for the victims and volunteers in Haiti every time we drink water.  Each little or brief prayer whispered in hope-filled love goes a long way.  As our Mother Pauline once said, “it is indeed a great grace, that God should permit us to help in the spread of His Kingdom”….yes, His Kingdom of hope among our brothers and sisters in Haiti.

 Thank you very much and God bless!

 Lovingly,

S. Maria Dolores