Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Beijing (Fides Service) - The latest missionary endeavour of the Benedictine Missionary Sisters of Tutzing (Germany) is the well equipped modern Ai Min Hospital in Mei he kou, a town in north eastern China in Ji Lin on the North Korean border. Ai Min means “Love People” and this is what the Sisters intend to do with their service of the sick and the needy.
The idea of building a hospital in this area more than 1,000 km from Beijing where health structures are scarce was born ten years ago and in 2000 the dream became a reality. Today there 8 Sisters working main in the administration, rehabilitation and counselling areas in the hospital. The hospital covers an area of 60,000 sq. mt.. It has an emergency unit and 20 specialised departments with modern equipment. The hospital has 500 beds and healthcare is guaranteed 24 hours a day.
The Sisters also train local nurses and they have a mobile clinic which offers free medical assistance to people in remote areas. Experts and consultants from German make regular visits to the hospital. Recently Father Notker Wolf OSB, Benedictine Abbot Primate visited the hospital and was shown around by the director general and the German Sisters.
Father Chen the only Catholic priest in Mei he kou told Fides that the local people “are deeply grateful for the Hospital which is run in collaboration with the local authorities. The Sisters are German, American and Korean and one is from Namibia, whereas the doctors are mostly local. There is a good team spirit and harmony. The name given to the hospital was chosen to be a sign of the Christian message of love and service. Although the Sisters are missionaries they do not engage in direct evangelisation but their life style and loving service are an eloquent way of bearing witness to Christ and more convincing than many words. I think this is typical of the Church’s mission in China. We can be eloquent witnesses through our silent service, like these wonderful Benedictines all the way from Germany”.
Mei he kou has a population 620.000 including about 2,000 Catholics. Father Chen is in charge of pastoral work assisted by two Sisters of the Holy Family Congregation a diocesan community. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 28/10/2004 righe 35 parole 374)
