Ebola Emergency
To Provincial Superiors, Vice Provincial Superiors
And Delegates General
To the whole Hospitaller Family of St John of God
Dear Brothers and Co-Workers,
It is with deep pain and a profound sense of sorrow that I have to inform you that Bro Manuel García Viejo died yesterday evening at Madrid’s Carlos III Hospital. As you know, Bro Manuel was repatriated to Spain on 22 September. His health conditions appeared very serious from the start, although a slight improvement the next day briefly raised our hopes. Unfortunately, however, his condition took a turn for the worse during the night of Wednesday and he continued to deteriorate until he passed away at 1800 yesterday, 25 September. Rest in Peace, Manuel!
Together with the whole Order, we join in the suffering of our Brothers in the African Province of St Augustine, to which he belonged since it was founded, and to the Brothers of the Province of Castille, where he set out on the religious life and to which he belonged for many years. Our condolences also go out to Bro Manuel’s family, to whom he was very close.
I should like to express my gratitude to the Government of Spain for its help and support in repatriating our Brother, to the health authorities involved and in particular to the medical personnel who assisted him over the last few days and who did all that was possible to bring him back to health.
Once more, the Ebola virus has dealt a hard blow to our Order, leaving us prostrate. The manner in which our Brother Manuel bore witness to hospitality until his death, like all the Brothers and Co-Workers who previously gave their lives for the same cause, stands as a prophetic call to the world, the Church and our own Hospitaller Family of St John of God not to forget but to continue serving and helping the populations of the countries suffering under the terrible Ebola epidemic.
We continue to pray to the Lord of Life for the people of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea Conakry, and also for our communities in Monrovia e Lunsar, that He may protect them through the intercession of our Father and Founder, St John of God.
Bro Jesús Etayo
Prior General
Dear Brothers and dear Co-Workers ,
This is to inform you that last Friday, Bro Manuel García Viejo, a surgeon at the Hospital of St John of God in Lunsar (Sierra Leone), tested positive for the Ebola virus. He was repatriated to Spain last night so he can be treated and cared for as well as possible at the Carlos III Hospital in Madrid. His state of health is unfortunately not good.
It was decided to repatriate him in accordance with Bro Manuel’s own wishes. After receiving his test results, it was he who asked to be flown to Spain. That was made possible thanks to the active collaboration of the Spanish Government, which has given us unfailing support.
We do not know exactly how the contagion happened. The Lunsar Hospital was in fact closed in accord with the local government after several cases of Ebola occurred there, and it reopened only last September 8 following disinfection and a period of quarantine.We suppose that the contagion must have taken place some time after that date, even though all possible preventive measures were taken.
This represents a very complex moment for all of us, and especially for our Brothers and Co-Workers in Sierra Leone, where we hope there will be no further cases of contagion. As for the hospital, we intend, in agreement with the Apoostolic Administrator for the Diocese, to close it again. At this time we cannot carry on alone and therefore need to coordinate with, and get help from, the Government, the Church and international organizations active in the health sector so that we can continue doing adequate and effective work. Under the right conditions, we are willing for our Centres to be another link in the chain of current or future projects implemented to respond to this difficult situation. Once more I ask all of you for your support and your prayers.
As you know, the epidemic is still out of control, with growing numbers of people sickening and dying.It seems that the international community is reacting with greater determination and major support measures are expected both in terms of human resources and in terms of supplies and financing. Our intention, both in Liberia and Sierra Leone, is to remain in the service of the populations of those two nations, according to the criteria I noted above, especially since this is a time when their need for us is greatest.I cannot pretend, however, that this is not becoming hard for us, especially after what happened in Lunsar.
In these very difficult moments, we stand together the African Province of St Augustine and the Communities and Centres in Liberia and Sierra Leone so that the whole Order can continue to provide the answer which the Lord, the Church and the countries involved all expect of us.
We pray for Bro Manuel García Viejo and all the Brothers and Co-Workers in both centres and ask the Lord, through the intercession of St John of God, to give us the strength and the courage to continue to bear and bring the Gospel of Hospitality to all those who are suffering because of this terrible epidemic.
With my fraternal greetings, united in the Lord and in St John of God.
Bro Jesús Etayo
Prior General
To the Provincial Superiors
All the Members of the Hospitaller Family of St John of God
Dear Brothers and Co-workers,
We have just been informed that Brother Miguel Pajares has died in the Carlos III Hospital in Madrid. As you know, Brother Miguel was repatriated to Spain on August 7 together with Sister Juliana. His condition was serious but still stable yesterday, but in the past few hours his condition deteriorated rapidly, and he died.
We are passing through a very difficult time for our Hospitaller Family, having lost three Brothers, one Sister and several Co-workers as a result of this Ebola epidemic. I therefore urge everyone to unite in prayer, hospitality and fraternity. Although the news fills us with sadness and grief, we have to accept the life of our Brothers, given up like Christ’s to the point of dying after contracting this virus, in the light of faith, with hope and a healthy sense of pride in their faithfulness and radical testimony to hospitality.
On behalf of the whole Order we wish to create a sense of unity, and extend our deepest sympathies to all the Brothers of the St Augustine Province of Africa, the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, and all the loved ones of the three departed Brothers, Patrick, George and Miguel, and of Sister Chantal and all the Co-workers who have lost their lives in our Centres in Liberia and Sierra Leone as a result of the epidemic.
Let us continue to beg the Lord of Life to welcome all our Brothers, our Sister, and our Co-workers into His Kingdom, as true champions of the Hospitality of St John of God. Let us also continue to pray for those countries and for all the members of our Hospitaller Family of St John of God who are continuing to live in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
With my fraternal best wishes, united with you in our Lord and St John of God.
Bro. Jesús Etayo
Prior General
To all Provincial Superiors
To all the Members of the Hospitaller Family of St John of God
Dear Brothers and Co-workers,
It is with deep sadness that I have to announce to the whole of the Hospitaller Family of St John of God that today, August 11, Brother George Combey died in the Elwa Hospital in Monrovia. On Saturday, August 9, Sister Chantal Pascaline, a Missionary of the Immaculate Conception, died at our St Joseph’s Hospital in Monrovia. Both of them fell victim to the Ebola virus. We have also received the sad news of the death of two of our Co-workers at the Elwa Hospital in the past few hours.
The situation in our Monrovia Hospital has become unsustainable following the death of Sister Chantal, and on the same day Brother George and Sisters Helena and Paciencia and several Co-workers were transferred to the Elwa Hospital. The Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, Helena and Paciencia, will therefore continue working there. I wish to thank our Volunteer, William Ekeurm, who assisted the Brothers and the Sisters until the very last moment.
Brother Miguel Pajares and Sister Juliana Bonoha, who were repatriated to Spain last week, are still stable. I can also tell you that at this very moment Juan Ciudad ONGD is coordinating an operation to send a team of a few St John of God Brothers and health care personnel to reach the St Joseph’s Hospital in Monrovia as soon as possible to look after the affected patients and to reopen it as soon as possible.
As for Sierra Leone, nothing new has happened since our last communiqué. All I can say is that they are trying to reduce the size of the hospital to meet current needs, because there are hardly any patients left as a result of the Ebola epidemic.
Once again I urge you all to pray for the eternal rest of our Brothers Patrick and George, and Sister Chantal, with our Lord in His Kingdom. Giving one’s life bears witness to boundless hospitality for all of us, from which our Lord will bring forth abundant fruit. At the same time, let us pray for our Family in Liberia and Sierra Leone, asking our Lord and St John of God to protect them all, and all the people suffering in both countries and indeed in the other African countries where the Ebola epidemic is bringing so much suffering in its wake.
United most particularly with the African Province of St Augustine in the Lord of Life and in St John of God I send you all my fraternal best wishes.
Bro. Jesús Etayo
Prior General
To all Provincial Superiors
Dear Brothers and Co-workers,
I am contacting you once again to brief you on the situation regarding our Brothers in the Centres in Liberia and Sierra Leone, who are passing through a particularly difficult period because of the Ebola epidemic which, on Saturday, August 2, took the life of our Brother Patrick in Monrovia.
The situation remains critical in both countries where cases of contagion and deaths are rising, as they are also in their neighbouring country of Guinea Conakry. The epidemic is not yet under control despite the measures adopted by the governments of these countries and by the WHO and, for the time being, they appear to be insufficient.
Our Monrovia Centre was closed a few days ago because, very sadly, Brother Miguel Pajares and two Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception who work with our Brothers in the hospital, together with two of our Co-workers, all tested positive for the Ebola virus. Today, August 7, the Spanish authorities have repatriated Brother Miguel Pajares and Sister Juliana Bohí to Madrid, but this was not possible for the other members of the group. Brother Georges Combey, 4 Sisters, 2 with Ebola, and a few Co-workers, are left behind. Our efforts are now focusing on enabling the whole group to stay in our Centre to be properly looked after, even though the situation is dramatic, and the healthcare, sanitary and social conditions are very precarious, and some of the patients are growing increasingly weaker by the day.
Our Centre in Sierra Leone is still operating, but at a very slow pace, because as a result of this situation the patients do not go to the hospitals. For the time being the Brothers are well, even though several Co-workers have died from Ebola in the past two months. Obviously, we cannot lower our sights at any time because the country as a whole is not under control, but exactly the reverse.
This situation is also making it difficult for us to keep up the two hospitals, because since one is closed and the other is working very little, they will need extraordinary financial assistance to maintain them, at least until everything returns to normal. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to urge the whole Order and the Institutions close to us, to cooperate with us, show solidarity and act generously in these difficult times.
I once again urge the whole Hospitaller Family of St John of God and the whole world to join us in prayer to beg our Lord, through Our Lady, Our Patron, and St John of God, to help these countries that are suffering so much at this time, and particularly to help our Brothers and the whole Hospitaller Family of St John of God in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and in the whole of Africa.
United in the Lord of Life and in St John of God, I send you my fraternal best wishes.
Hno. Jesús Etayo
Superior General
Unfortunately, the situation in West Africa because of the Ebola epidemic is increasingly disturbing. The information coming from ourSt. Joseph’s Catholic hospital Monrovia in Liberia are not reassuring. On Saturday 2nd August, 2014 Patrick Nshamdze, a religious from St. Augustine Province of Africa, died having contracted the hemorrhagic fever virus while assisting the sick, and now six morepeople were put in strict isolation.
Last minute news report that even Bro. Miguel Pajares and two sisters of the Missionary Congregation of the Immaculate Conception were tested positive. The Spanish Foreign Ministry is working out means, so that they can return to Spain as soon as possible. Here from the General Curia in the next few hours we will send other reports updated
Times are not easy, but do not lose hope in the Lord through prayer, we support our brothers and co-workers of our African Provinces that despite the great risk of contagion, continue the assistance to the sick. Always united in ST John of God.
For real-time updates, please consult the website of Juan Ciudad ONGD
