World Leprosy Day: Franciscan Missionary of Mary addresses Vatican Symposium

Source: St Francis Leprosy Guild

A religious sister working in leprosy has been invited to present at a Vatican Symposium on Leprosy. St Francis Leprosy Guild has announced that Sr Mary Bawani Chelliah, of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in Sri Lanka, will present their work with people affected by leprosy during the Covid-19 pandemic, at the International Symposium on 23 and 24 January 2023. This is in the leadup to World Leprosy Day on 29 January.

'Leave No One Behind' will take place at Rome's Augustinian Patristic Institute, and the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development is one of the organisers. Sr Bawani will present during the session, 'Best Practices with special attention to roles of religious organisations," on 24 January. She will describe the community outreach work undertaken by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary from the Manthivu, Hendala and Badulla leprosy centres in Sri Lanka and their work during the pandemic.

Sr Bawani served for 20 years at Manthivu leprosy hospital. She visited people with leprosy, especially those in remote communities. Her role was to take provisions, medication and provide practical support and friendship. She now lives at the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Convent in Rome.

St Francis Leprosy Guild works in partnership with the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in Sri Lanka to care for people with leprosy. During the pandemic, resources of every kind were scarce in Sri Lanka. If there was any provision for hardship, people with leprosy were at the back of the queue. Thanks to the dedication and compassion of Sisters of the Franciscan Missionary of Mary, help was at hand says the St Francis Leprosy Guild. "We are delighted that Sr Bawani will tell the story of what happened during the pandemic at the Symposium next week" said the Guild's Chief Executive Officer, Clare McIntosh.

Sr Bawani says:

"During the pandemic, our mission was challenged by many obstacles. But travel restrictions imposed by the government did not stop our visits even though the number of visits was reduced. Some of the people we visited were given mobile phones to stay in touch. For others, money was paid directly into their bank accounts. Some were helped through the local parish priest and when possible, supported by neighbours. So, the Sisters did not keep quiet, even though the virus was spreading and taking many lives every day, especially during the second wave of the pandemic. Covid-19 pushed leprosy communities to the back of the queue and out of mind during lockdown. The Sisters made sure that they were not forgotten and had what they needed to survive. People with leprosy live in considerable hardship, even if their community is unaware that they are affected by leprosy. Taking rations was particularly important during the pandemic. Thanks be to God, the Sisters were not affected by the virus and God permitted us to help our dear patients continually through new ways, bringing a ray of hope and happiness in this difficult period. Since people with leprosy are often rejected by their families and communities, they were even less likely to have anyone to depend upon during the pandemic. The Sisters visited and took vital provisions during lock down."

The financial crisis and civil unrest in Sri Lanka mean the attention and resources given to leprosy are reducing while the number of children and adults infected by leprosy is increasing. Travel restrictions and food and medicine shortages also challenge the Sisters to continue with their mission.

World Leprosy Day World Leprosy Day is observed on the last Sunday of January every year to increase public awareness of leprosy. View video at: www.stfrancisleprosy.org/wld-2023-video.htm

The St Francis Leprosy Guild will be streaming news live from the Vatican next week. www.stfrancisleprosy.org/