Journey for the root

The head office of MMM is located in Boosterstown, approximately half an hour by car from Dublin. As the bus gradually drove closer th Boosterstown, the sight changed. In the mean time, I felt more and more at home because its vigorous grass, blue sky and ocean looked like Taitung. Perhaps such similarity could ease the Sister’s nostalgia. Fifty years ago, Irish Sisters went to Taiwan and helped so many Taiwanese. However, no Taiwanese had any opportunity to visit then in Ireland. Today, I am here in Ireland for the root.

I got off the bus, walked for fifteen minutes and finally arrived at the head office of MMM, with a low white wall, on which was written the familiar words – Medical Missionary of Mary. The building was simple and plain as the missionary itself. Seeing the statues of Holy Mother and the Sisters, I almost burst into tears. Carol Breslin, the head/manager of MMM, greeted us and kindly showed us an album she had found in advance. The album, which had rested uninterrupted in the document room for three decades, were the record of the MMM Sisters in Taitung. It marked the history I’ve never been through.

I also brought with me some English publications and Chinese history of St. Mary’s Hospital, even though I found little record of MMM in them. We turned it page after page. She recalled the names of the Sisters in the photos while I briefly translated the content of the articles. Back to the early days of St. Mary’s Hospital, the most special thing among the needs was often interpretation. All the Sisters and Doctors were foreigners and some of them spoke no Chinese. What’s worse was that Chinese was not the only local language in Taitung. People in Taitung also spoke Taiwanese, Hokka and languages spoken by six different aboriginal tribes. Some senior empolyees told me that the Sisters would be so anxious as to pinch the young local nurses when the translation/interpretation was too slow in emergency.

Cheerily, Manager Carol told me that she would have come to Taiwan if she had not been sent to Africa, where she stayed for over twenty years. During the fourteen years of MMM’s stay in Taiwan, the Order assigned eight Sisters and Brothers to serve in country. They were Sr. Kieran Saunders, Sr. Kieran Saunders, Sr. Petria Whelan, Maureen Sinnott, Sr. Maria Glancy, Sr. Madeleine Leblanc, Sr. Maureen McDermott, Maura O’Domohue, among whom only Shirley Smith and Sr. Madeleine Leblanc are still alive and currently serving in the U.S.

So they are all gone! I cannot stop the sorrow sprung out of my heart although I had already been prepared for the bad news.

Perhaps you can help us in the future

Before long, Sister Joanne Bierl, who is the chief, and some other Sisters joined us, too. They searched for their Sisters in those yellowed photos. The lost/forgotten time slowly take shape in our minds. In one of the photos, St. Mary’s Hospital was seen from the mountain. It was a simple but elegant white hut surrounded by paddy fields. The Sisters drew a mark/an arrowhead, writing “We have three Sisters here.” Everybody smiled because it coincided the cover of the English brochure I brought from Taiwan.

I shared with them the current state of St. Mary’s Hospital, starting with how it was changed from a hospital that offered the help of child delivery to that of hospice. I also told them how we look after diabetics and further the various of health promotion, how we introduced aromatherapy/aroma care due to the catastrophe, how we survived the close down crisis, and finally how we struggled for being a 「Healing Hospital」against the current harsh medical environment. The Sisters felt comforted with the development of the Hospital and praised that we are moving toward the right direction . I thanked them and replied “It’s the devotional spirit you left in Taiwan that keeps leading St. Mary’s hospital to do what should be done.”

Just before leaving, I gave the Sister all the aromas I brought for the exhibition/conference. They were so excited. Sister Joanne informed me that almost all the Sisters in MMM use aroma. Aromatherapy has highly curative effect when used for the elders and in the hospice but it cannot spread throughout their hospital since some people still doubt it. Therefore, aromatherapy is at present merely used in hospice in their hospital. “Why don’t they use so wonderful a thing?” wondered Sister Joanne. She smiled and said that probably we may help them with the popularization of aromatherapy in their hospital.

I nodded and expressed my gratitude to them again. In addition, I told the Sisters that I sincerely hope them, should the chance be available, would visit Taiwan and see the “home” their Sister founded.

Leaving on the bus, I felt joyful and sorrowful at the same time. it seemed to finish the regret for fifty years, and afraid that don’t have chance to meet them in the life. Suddenly, it rained in the sky. A song sounded from my heart:

Who is tapping my window, who is teasing the strings

The forgotten times , take shape to my heart little by little

Who is tapping my window, who is teasing the strings

The joyful scenes in the memory, appear from my mind little by little

The slowly rain floats, dropping on my window continuously

Only silent and no words by myself, recall the past now and then

Who is knocking my window, who is teasing the strings.

The joyful scenes in the memory, appear from my mind little by little

Not long after I returned Taiwan, I received a letter from Manager Carol. She appreciated our visit and our informing her about the development of St. Mary’s Hospital after the retreat of MMM. Also, I received a letter written by George apologizing for suddenly canceling the plan to meet me in Dublin. He explained that it was because one of his family members passed away. He felt extremely sorry that he couldn’t overcome the distance of 300 km to meet me, who had flew across almost half of the globe. He felt even more pitiful that he never knew the Sisters from his country contributed so much abroad. This is also forgotten in Ireland; especially that, within the late seven years, the power of the Order has been shrinking sharply. The Sisters grew old, and some of them died. Some units had to sell their land in order to survive. The Order has a harsh time due to the economical recession throughout Europe.

What can we do?

 Mother Teresa said : His own responsibility in the needs of others. Where are the responsibility of us? Everything is believe, everything is expect, everything keeps patient. We only can do the best. As for the result, that is a decree of the God. Perhaps fifty years later, people will remember the beautiful and love memory.