Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Shi Jia Zhuang (Agenzia Fides) – “We are Catholic religious, from various religious congregations from the different dioceses and provinces.” This was the response given by Sister Ji Yong-Jing, of the Congregation of Our Lady of China in San Dong, and the other Catholic religious who are working in the earthquake disaster area when the people, in awe by their presence, asked them who they were. “You are so special, so good, you work so hard...but who are you, with this special outfit?” was the commonly-asked questioned, as Sr. Ji reveals in her diary entitled, “Love in Action.”
Sister Ji, who along with a large number of other religious sisters coordinated by Jinde Charities, helped to bring aid to the earthquake victims, writes in her diary: “June 2. Today the there is a clear sky. As we do every day, we are helping the elderly and the wounded in washing themselves, cutting their hair, shaving their beard. As the temperature is 45 degrees (113 degrees Fahrenheit) there’s a high risk of sunstroke and for worsening the situation of the injured. We saw a youth who had not yet been visited. We’ve been trying to speak with him for days, but without any success. Today, all of a sudden he called out to me and told me: ‘Sister, my family is Catholic, newly baptized. They are desperate for my sake, because I am 30 years old and am practically a delinquent. I have done everything except be good. The earthquake and your example have made me realize that I was wrong, and I want to change. Is there still hope for me? Will I still be able to gain the trust of my family?’ I immediately responded, saying, ‘Of course. The Lord is good and welcomes back all people, especially when they return to Him like the prodigal son.’ All of us sisters tried to keep his spirits high, trying to get in contact with his family too. During the recreation and evening prayer in our little community, we received the confirmation that where the Lord’s Love is, there is the Lord Himself who transforms that people from within.”
“A local parish priest came to visit with some sisters. Observing our situation, he offered to let us sleep in their parish. We thanked him, but we will stay here, because the people need us. They promised to pray for us, and to bring us whatever we needed as soon as we needed it. We can only thank the Lord who is everywhere and knows what we need. Lord, thank you for this experience and this increase in faith!”
The earthquake victims are unanimous in their praise for the Catholic sisters. A doctor working in the clinic at a chemical fertilizer factory says: “if the sisters had not been here, I don’t what we would have done. 20% of the over 1,000 workers and managers that were in the factory at the moment of the earthquake, died. A few days later, only soldiers and the sisters were here to help us. They have done all kinds of tasks, even burying the dead. Every day they commute 40 kilometers to reach us, and then they go back to the place where they are staying. They have been working like this for an entire week. I will never forget when they left us to go to work in other parts of the emergency area. We all had tears in our eyes, saying, ‘You, Sisters, are the people we love most of all!” (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 20/6/2008)
