Newspaper Page Text
I
Italian Diocese Runs College \
To Train Lay Doctors For Missions
By Msgr. James I. Tucek
(N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE)
PADUA, Italy—In the new
age of lay missionaries, the
college for lay medical mis
sionaries here is training a
whole army of Dr. Tom Doo
leys to consecrate their pro
fessional careers to the needy
people in mission lands.
The University College for
Medical Missionary Aspirants,
as it is officially named, is an
example of what a single non
missionary diocese can do for
the missions.
The college, founded and
maintained by the Padua dio
cese, aims to give adequate
spiritual and technical training
to Italian students and students
from mission lands who want to
help missionaries as doctors.
Since its foundations on De
cember 3, 1950, it has
sent 80 doctors to India, For
mosa, Japan, Indonesia, Jordan,
Iraq, Israel and 14 African na
tions.
Among the 54 medical stu
dents now resident at the col
lege, there are 18 Italians. The
rest are from 11 mission na
tions.
* * *
THE COLLEGE is the out
growth of an idea which for
many years was considered by
a group of apostolic-minded
Italian laymen. Its realization
came when Dr. Francesco Ca-
nova, a professor at the Uni
versity of Padua, addressed the
International Missionary Con
gress in Rome during the Holy
Year of 1950.
After personal experience in
Palestine, he said: "I recog
nized the great importance that
a hospital directed by a Catholic
doctor could have in contribut
ing to the evangelistic work of
the missionary. The hospital,
in fact, is a neutral ground
to which the natives can come
without suspicion, and in which
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the active charity of the Gos
pel, precisely because it is si
lent, has a special eloquence and
attraction.'*
The college is for Catholic
men who intend to practice
medicine as an auxiliary apos
tolic work alongside the mis
sionary and under the direction
of the missionary bishop. They
follow the regular medical
course at the University of
Padua with emphasis on tropi
cal pathology and surgery.
At the college (here under
stood in the European sense of
residence for university stu
dents) they are given additional
preparation for the missions:
languages, history of religions
and ethnology.
* # *
THERE IS A COLLEGE sec
retariat which maintains con
tact with the missionary
bishops, either to receive their
requests for doctors or to ac
cept native students sent by
them. The assignment of a
doctor to a mission territory is
governed by a contract which
stipulates living quarters, hos
pital facilities and supplies,
period of engagement and
salary.
The salary varies, depending
on whether the medical mis
sionary is single or a married
man with a family. Generally,
it runs around $300 a month
plus living quarters. The term
of contract is for two or three
years with a maximum of five
years.
The majority of the doctors
stay for a period of five years.
If they are Italians they return
to Italy for a vacation and then
go back to renew their contract.
Only three of the Italians, out
of the many sent to mission
territories, have declined re
newal pf contract.
The first college graduate
was assigned to the Diocese of
Vijaiawada, India, in March,
1954. At the end of that year
(Continued on Page 6)
PRIEST CITES-
(Continued from Page 4)
she’ll never cure him unless
she gives his condition the right
diagnosis.
* * *
“YOU KNOW better than I
what a problem this raises. How
many Catholic institutions are
merely tacking an hour or so of
baby-food religion or moPal
problems in medicine into a
program no different from that
of any other school of nursing?
“It isn’t for me to tell you how
to do your work. . .But let’s at
least admit the problem. To
educate nurses properly you
need a good theology course
conducted by people with as
much professional competence
as those who teach biochemis
try.”
Father Kerns said that as the
student nurse “begins to under
stand the meaning of sickness”
she will be able to appreciate
the meaning of nursing, which
he defined as “trying to help
the sick by serving them as a
woman called by God.”
Father John J. Flanagan,
S. J., executive director of the
Catholic Hospital Association,
urged the nurses to pay more
attention to the “little virtues,”
such as kindness, friendliness
and cheerfulness.
He said he fears that in con
centrating on stronger aca
demic programs, nursing edu
cators “have failed to realize
that. . .they have an obligation
to emphasize by word and exam
ple the “little virtues” which
give a professional and a Chris
tian finish to education.”
* ‘I think the practitioners of
nursing and nursing super
visors must do a better job of
establishing a learning environ
ment in which patient satisfac
tion has greater importance,”
Father Flanagan continued.”
. . .1 respectfully ask you to
include in your curriculum the
importance of patience—the va
lue of forbearance—service
with affability.
* * *
“PLEASE REMEMBER that
true charity is manifested
through politeness to a patient
and employees. In order to be
holy, St. Francis reminds us,
it is not necessary to be boorish
or cold or disdainful. A man may
be a gentleman as well as a
saint. Cordiality, affability,
cheerfulness should go well with
the white uniform.”
He said “these virtues need
not be left at the level of the
natural” but “can be super-
naturalized by recalling that...
they are virtues which Christ
Himself practiced most faith
fully.”
Father Flanagan said that
practice of these little vitues
* ‘is a contribution which Catho
lic schools can make to
nursing,” and “there is no
other contribution which would
mean more to nursing, or to
'the American people.”
ST. FRANCIS HOSPITAL SCHOOL OF NURSING, COLUMBUS
Why A Catholic Hospital?
(By A Priest Patient)
The advantages accruing to a
Catholic by being in a Catholic
hospital during illness are pri
marily, though not exclusively,
spiritual. In a Catholic Hos
pital the patient enjoys privileg
es few or none of which could
be his in a non-Catholic Hos
pital.
The patient who is able to
be up and about may attend
Holy Mass daily and Holy Com
munion is brought daily to all
patients desiring it. The Bles
sed Sacrament is reserved in
the chapel and one is free to
pay a visit to the Master of the
House and spend some time in
prayer; or one may make the
Stations of the Cross, if hefeels
so inclined. The Chaplain visits
his Catholic patients once or
twice a day, thus providing am
ple opportunity for sacramental
confession and spiritual guid
ance. Hospital personnel are in
structed to inform the Priest
when a patient’s condition war
rants so that the Sacrament of
Extreme Unction may be ad
ministered. Then, too, the daily
visits of the Sisters, whose gen
tle words and kind smiles cheer
and comfort the sick. The ex
ample of their dedicated lives
strengthens and vivifies one’s
faith and makes one proud of
belonging to the Church which
inspires such unselfish voca
tions.
The ordinary layman knows
little of the problems of the
moral theologian. He can, how
ever, as a patient in a Catholic
hospital rest with a quiet con
science and perfect peace of
mind, knowing that all the re
quirements of Catholic theology
as regards medical ethics, will
be complied with in every de
partment.
In a word, the whole atmos
phere of the hospital is Catho
lic and a stimulus to one’s
faith. How often has not a stay
in a Catholic hospital been the
instrument of God’s grace—the
means He has used to restore
lax Catholics to fervor andfre-
quentation of the Sacraments;
and fallen-away Catholics to the
practice of their religion.
At the present time, Catholic
hospitals usually equal and
more often surpass other hos
pitals, as far as medical profes
sion and competence, comfort,
arid modern conveniences are
concerned. The large number of
Jews, Protestants, and those of
no religious affiliations what
soever, who patronize Catholic
hospitals, is ample evidence of
this.
There are many excellent
hospitals, as far as medical
care goes, but the Catholic lay
man is bound by a higher stand
of values. He must put first
things first. He must put God
and the welfare of his soul
first. They are at all times more
important than the body. The
glorification of God, through the
salvation of one’s immortal soul
is man’s prime duty in life.
To succeed in this is to have
made a success out of life,
no matter how humble the posi
tion he may occupy in the eyes
of the world. To have failed in
this is to have made a mess
out of life no matter how loud
ly the world may acclaim him.
Why take any chances in the
critical hour of physical ill
ness. All of his efforts at this
time should be directed toward
God’s honor and glory and his
soul’s eternal welfare. This is
especially true in the time of
serious illness.
Thomas A. Kempis once com
plained “Few are improved by
illness.” How much greater
reason would he not have to say
the same today of those placed
in the new-pagan atmosphere of
most public hospitals. Yet, this
statement, need not, indeed
should not be true. In God's
plan sickness is but a stepping
stone towards intimacy with
the Divine. Patiently born, it
should contribute both to
the work of our purification and
our sanctification.
What better way is there of
assuring that this shall be true
with regard to ourselves and our
dear ones than by insisting
that our doctor take us to the
wholesome atmosphere of a
Catholic hospital.
Open Letter
To A Patient
Dear Patient,
It is about seven a.m. Dawn
of another day brings the hust
ling corps of personnel into the
hospital to begin the various ac
tivities for care of the sick.
At the time of greatest ac
tivity, there is a momentary
pause. The sound of the silver
bell is heard and all stop in
reverent prayer. Strangers who
hear it for the first time will
naturally ask with the blind man
of the Gospel who heard a crowd
passing on the road to Jericho,
‘ ‘What might this be ?’ ’ They will
be rightfully answered “Jesus
of Nazareth is passing by.”
They have but to view the re
spect and reverence shown to
know that a great Visitor is
passing by.
Is is the most important mo
ment for the Catholic patient
who receives Holy Communion.
We all have need of the food of
eternal life, but for the sick this
need is acute. You should desire
to receive every day while at
the hospital. To arouse this de
sire, it is not sufficient that you
be conscious in an abstract way
of the Catholic doctrine of The
Holy Eucharist, that Christ is
present Body, Soul and Divini
ty. You must have the truth of
faith alive and real and be con
vinced in a practical way that
this is the Bread come down
from heaven. Christ promised
to give Himself to us as a food
for our souls; “I am the living
Bread that has come down from
Heaven. If anyone eat of this
Bread he shall live forever and
the Bread that I will give is My
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Flesh for the life of the world,
(John 6:15).
The Eucharist is the only real
permanent miraculous medi
cine. St. Augustine, great philo
sopher, describes the riches of
The Gift of God in these words:
“God all-wise though He be,
knows nothing better; all-pow
erful though He be, can do no
thing more excellent; infinitely
rich though He be, has nothing
more precious to give; than the
Eucharist.” In comparison with
this health-giving food all the
scientific medications and
treatment available in a hospi
tal pale into significance.
The Southern Cross, September 5, 1963—PAGE 5
Sisters Needed
(By A Patient)
There is much work to be
done in a large metropolitan
hospital and if it be a Catholic
hospital, then there is the need
for many nursing Sisters—Sis
ters to continue the work of
God, ministering to the sick and
to the poor.
A religious community can be
rightly proud when it boasts of
a hospital, structured second to
none, doing outstanding work in
the fields of medicine, science,
and in patient care. But utilizing
its facilities and lending support
is not enough, however, if the
work is to continue and is to
be carried out successfully.
What a Catholic community
must be cognizant of is that
though funds and loyalty are es
sential, these are not enough;
the fostering of religious voca
tions is also its role.
Let us keep in mind that
a hospital chapel, that the sta
tues that grace the halls do not
make the Catholic, institution
nor uphold the principles for
which the Catholic world can be
justly proud. Sisters are needed
—many more than are now
available for the great work.
The unselfish offering of child
ren to God, when He calls them
to the religious state, can carry
on this work of furthering the
Church. This is not only the
privilege of our Catholic pa
rents—it is their obligation.
It is quite an experience,
stepping out of a very busy
life into a quiet hospital for a
week or two—sort of like being
transported into another world.
When this happened to me re
cently I at last found the time
to do a little thinking, and par
ticularly to meditate upon my
blessings. Suddenly I realized
that I had been taking a lot
for granted—presuming on
God’s mercy, so to speak.
I suppose that, as a Catho
lic, I just naturally expected
to go to a Catholic Hospital,
and it was a shock to hear
my doctor giving instructions
for my admission to a non-
Catholic hospital. However, at
my request, I was permitted
to enter the hospital of my
choice—a Catholic hospital.
This forcibly caused me to
realize just how important it is
to me to go to such a hospital,
and for fear some of my readers
may not have had occasion to
think about this phase of illness
I want to set down some of my
thoughts on the subject.
Let me say in the beginning
that, in a way, it gives me the
same sort of satisfaction as at
tending Mass in my own parish
Church—its like home. Beyond
this, the privilege of receiving
Holy Communion each day, and
the daily visits of the Priests
and the Sisters contribute to a
feeling of spiritual secuity im
possible to obtain elsewhere.
Could anyone, Catholic or
non-Catholic, fail to appreciate
the nursing staff in a Catholic
hospital? I am sure that many
of you have been impressed by
nurses, who have received their
training in a hospital operated
by a Catholic Religious Order.
This respect for the dignity of
the human being, their kind
ness, sympathetic understand
ing and quiet efficiency are but
reflections of their basic Catho
lic training.
These are some of the things
which seem so important to me
when I am ill, perhaps more im
portant that the doctor I choose.
Miss Lloyd
Is Honor
Graduate
SAVANNAH — Miss Peggy
Lloyd, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. J. Armand Llbyd of
Brunswick, was first honor
graduate at the commencement
exercises held recently at St.
Joseph’s School of Nursing.
Miss Lloyd was presented the
Medical Staff award as out
standing senior of 1963 at a ban
quet given at the Pirate House.
She is president of the Student
Nurses Association of Georgia
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