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Medical missionaries offer to begin ‘solidarity’

Maria Mamani’s heart beats with the echoes of kings. Her body suffers some of their afflictions as well.

Twelve-year-old Maria’s elfin-like stature belies her heritage. Born in the Bolivia’s high Andes Mountains, the blood of the Incas-ancient lords of the continent—certainly flows in her veins. But in that heritage also are the seeds of her pain: a congenital hip deformation, osteomyelitis (a bone infection) and tuberculosis which has settled in her kidneys, ailments not easily treated in her homeland.

Maria was observed by the medical mission team from the Archdiocese of Chicago last year. Today, she is in Chicago being evaluated for treatment at St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Hearings draw crowds, focus anger, suggestions on abuse
Alberto Santos Saldivar went to the public hearing on sexual abuse by priests at Holy Name Cathedral May 21 hoping to find a priest to listen to his story.

Instead, he shared what he said happened to him as an elementary school student in Chicago’s Little Italy with the more than 100 lay people who gathered to share their thoughts on the sex-abuse scandal.

The hearing was one of more than 30 sessions in Cook and Lake counties organized by the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago in an effort to provide lay people an opportunity to share their thoughts on the sex abuse crisis with Cardinal George before the June 13-15 bishops’ meeting in Dallas.

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