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Medical Mission Sisters join people around the world in prayers of gratitude for Pope John II and his deep commitment to and work for justice for all. His tireless efforts to show the dignity and worth of each person have made a tremendous impact on our world. May he now rest peacefully in the loving arms of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Project H.O.M.E., a non-profit organization that provides services to poor and homeless persons in Philadelphia, is partnering with Medical Mission Sisters in raising funds for the tsunami relief and rebuilding work our Sisters are doing in South India. Over a two-week period (March 23 - April 6) Project H.O.M.E. is collecting funds; using some of the proceeds from one Friday lunch at its Back Home Café (April 1); and designating a portion of one day's proceeds from its Daily Threads Thrift Store (Tuesday, April 5) to our Sisters. Members of the Project H.O.M.E. community also hope to share their own stories with tsunami survivors through email, artwork, poetry, etc. Also, FaithfulAmerica and its parent organization, The National Council of Churches USA, is holding a benefit concert for tsunami relief. A portion of the proceeds will go to Medical Mission Sisters. Featuring Judy Collins, Noel Paul Stookey and Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, and Mary, the concert will be held on Tuesday, April 12th, at 7:00 p.m. at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of Missouri in St. Louis, MO. For more information, please visit: www.faithfulamerica.org In a recent update from South India, our Sisters Joan Chunkapura, Elsy Puthenpurayil, and Louise Marie Puthusserril wrote from Andhakaranazhi, where 800 families were affected by the tsunami. "Three of our counselors are going regularly for home visits and counseling," explains Sister Joan. "Our aim is to create a movement among the people, so they are enabled and empowered to face their present and future." 50 local people are attending counseling training. "We pray with them, and also teach them crisis management and coping skills, and how to plan their future." The program will last a minimum of 3 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thursday, April 7th, is World Health Day. The theme this year is, "Make Every Mother and Child Count." Mothers and children have been at the heart of our healing mission for the past 80 years. Tragically, every minute of every day, a woman dies giving birth because she cannot reach or afford adequate access to prenatal care. In that same minute, 30 children under age 5 lose their lives to diarrhea, malaria, malnutrition, and other preventable diseases. To help relieve this terrible suffering, our Sisters staff and support prenatal, nutrition, and under-5 clinics, and also train local health workers to recognize and respond to problems that occur in pregnancy, childbirth, and early childhood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Annual free eye examinations for the poor were recently held at Holy Family Hospitals in Mandar and Patna, North India. In Mandar, about 500 patients were screened, and 89 were admitted for operations, free of charge. In Patna, 85 patients received cataract surgery without charge. Holy Family Hospital in Patna also held graduation ceremonies for 40 general nurse midwives, 6 laboratory technicians, and 4 operating room technicians - the first 4 graduates from this program.
April 1,
2005
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