Some of them take turn in the daily care of the sick, while others attend to those who need their services in vigil houses or funeral homes. “Our work is above all to give spiritual accompaniment,” the Spanish Fr. Francisco Javier Acero of the parish of the Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de los Hospitales explained to the agency Efe; the priest’s duty is to administer the sacraments and accompany the sick, as well as their families.
His parish attends to the General Hospital, the Children’s Hospital and the XXI-Century Medical Center, all of which depend upon the Mexican Institute of Social Security and are located in the barrio called, Doctores, the most popular and insecure section of the city.
The three hospitals have a total bed capacity of 4,500, and many of the patients are poor who come from the provinces accompanied by relatives with nothing but their clothes on.
According to official statistics 14.4 million of the 103 million inhabitants of Mexico live in extreme poverty or are undernourished, and 44.7 million are poor in patrimony.
For this reason the companions of the sick could spend days without food, bath and change of clothing and they have no way of buying medicine or paying for the operation.
Psychological Attention
Fr. Acero further explained that for three years now these missionaries have been attending to both the human and the psychological.
At the side of the parish and just in front of the General Hospital, they built an assist center for the persons who accompany their sick relatives. In here they are given food, bed and even some medicines. In some instances financial help is extended for the operations of their patient. They also get help for the funeral services of the dead.
“Mexico is the city of hope to many, but it is also the city of anonymity and fear,” said the same Fr. Acero, because with its 20 million inhabitants the difference between a rancho where every body knows everybody and this city is very big.
At the outbreak of the A Influenza the assist center doubled the number of its visitors in April from 2,000 of last year to 4,000 this year; and same thing can happen this May, so it seems, because they already have served more than 500 meals to the companions of the sick.
Fr. Acero mentioned that actually entire wings of the three hospitals are under quarantine from the Influenza. Listening and Hope
“To listen helps a lot,” explained the priest, who noted that many need a shoulder to cry on and unload the fear that their relative might either have the flu or might be interned close to patients suffering of A Influenza. This situation preoccupies their families.
Fr. Acero mentioned that actually entire wings of the three hospitals are under quarantine from the Influenza.
“It is probable that some of the sick whom we, the religious, attended to had the flu, and some even died of the infirmity, but who where given a different medical prescription,” Fr. Acero pointed out as he recalled this in relation to a new evil.
He said that the infirmity had provoked among the people “much fear and distrust”.
“What we needed to do was to restore trust and peace, and to maintain these measures of hygienic prevention for life,” assured the priest.
His congregation fights against fear, reminding those who are affected “that life continues and that we cannot go on living under an uncalled for psychosis.”
He affirmed, “Now the church in Mexico finds herself in a fantastic and wonderful situation and this can be availed of in order to give confidence to the peoples who come, to encourage and give hope, and to tell them that life moves on and that everything continues, that there is meaning in all this, that we must take care of ourselves and value one’s life.”
During these days the priests offer much the prayer addressed to the patroness of Mexico, the Virgin of Guadalupe, and the prayer was prepared precisely in response to the epidemic.