Update from Sri Lanka

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Dear Friends,

News from S. Sylvia: This morning, accompanied by a Novice, I went again to visit families. The sorrow I meet is simply unimaginable. In the district of Galle 247 people were killed and 90 injured, but many are still missing. The former houses have been replaced by tents. The only things people own are the clothes they wear. For example, I visited a man in a tent whose house was completely destroyed - only the foundation was left over. He is suffering very much because he is still missing his daughter, however, he does not lose hope. Yesterday he published again an appeal in the newspaper.

Another man had lost his wife and his daughter. He still has a son, who feels terribly frustrated, because he tried to hold on to his sister, but the last moment he lost all his strength and had to let her go. She was carried away by the floods and died. He is very sad that he could not save his sister.

Another man - the owner of a jeweler’s shop, lost everything through the tsunami. Now he is sitting in a small hut with his family and does not know what to do. These are only some of the countless family stories and tragedies .

Our team is divided into three groups. One group is nursing patients in the place, where we live. Furthermore there is the group of psychologists. I am making home visits in order to find out the cases of death, which is only a preliminary activity, on which the psychologists are continuing to work. Thus we are working hand in hand. Our Novices are all fully active. On Thursday we will be accompanying the Novices and S. Chintha back to the Novitiate in Kandy, where we will stay overnight and on Friday return to Galle.

On Saturday will arrive a project manager and a woman social worker, sent to Sri Lanka on behalf of the Hungarin Caritas. They will prepare all the duties for the next group, due to arrive in Sri Lanka beginning of March. Priority will be given to concrete help to the victims. People will be assisted in reconstruction. Only then they will be able to come back to themselves - anyway, this should be a simultaneous process. Now I will have to make a list for Dr. Tatár, so that he gets an idea of what we could find out from the persons concerned. People are facing nothing because they were left with nothing. All the same I truly admire them!

Sister Selvarani Fernandopulle, SDS, and Sister Beatrice Fernando, SDS, talked with a young university student. Her mother had worked for some time in Kuwait and earned enough money to build a nice house and send her daughter to the university. Now, they have lost everything, including their husband and father. 

The girl had lost all hope of completing her studies. With money that has been given for tsunami victims, the Sisters will help her complete her studies to become a teacher. This year she will do her practicum and also needs to board somewhere near where she will practice. She is assured of a government teaching position when she finishes her studies. Part of the assistance to her was to help her buy the appropriate clothing for teachers, because professional women in Sri Lanka wear a sari. Since the family lost everything, she had only the clothes that she was wearing when the tsunami hit. 

Sister Rani Fernando, SDS, was in Sri Lanka representing the International Leadership Team of the Sisters of the Divine Savior. She was listening to people who needed  to tell their story, over and over, and there is not much any one can say…only to listen.  As the people talked and would mention some of the immediate things they needed, the Sisters arranged for supplies to reach those in need. Food, water, medicine, and clothing are available in the country.  But, people need to be able to get to where the supplies are, and to have money to buy, since all was lost with their houses. 

Many people who lost family members – wife, husband, children, mother, father- and their house, do not even have a picture to look at as a remembrance. They have nothing!  And for this they cry.  

Sister Rani Fernando, SDS, told of one fish salesman who lost his home, his bicycle, the scales, knives, etc., all that he needs in order to begin selling fish again.  With the money that Sister Rani carried with her to Sri Lanka, the sisters have helped him to buy a bicycle and all he needs to begin selling again. The sisters are also helping him find a place to build a house and will help him to build, too. The land that his house was on was taken into the sea. This man has a wife and two children, one of whom was born with a hearing and speech handicap -  he is deaf and mute.

Unlike many others who are still sitting and mourning, this man approached our Sisters because he needs and wants to begin his life again. 

Our Leadership Team wishes to thank each person who has donated to the SDS Tsunami Relief Fund. Our Generalate in Rome and our Sisters in Sri Lanka join us in acknowledging your caring generosity to the people devastated by this natural disaster. Our Tsunami Relief Fund is still accepting donations. With your help, direct relief is offered by way of shelter, clothing and medicine. Our Sisters continue to be among the relief and recovery workers addressing immediate and long term needs. 

In a letter sent by e-mail, January 16, 2005, Sister Beatrice Fernando, SDS, Provincial Superior, Sri Lanka, wrote to Sister Grace Mary Croft, SDS,  in Rome: 

…Yesterday Sr. Rani and I were at a meeting of our Lay Salvatorians. They were gathered together to work out a plan to help the displaced. They planned to go with the Sisters to a Catholic Parish and two by two go to those people who have come to their homes and are trying to resettle. These people need listening ears and that is what the lay Salvatorians will do. They have decided to take only bath towels to donate. The Salvatorians did not have the money they needed, so I promised to give them some. Our new community in Badulla, Sisters Princy, Margaret Mary and Vasanthy, are now at a refugee camp with the OMI's (Oblates of Mary Immaculate) and will be there until the Bishop of Badulla has the house ready for the community. 

On the 13th we were with Sr. Mary. Oh my God! We did not know what to say or do...Very pathetic. They have absolutely nothing. When we were there her nephew was gathering their fishing nets. The youngest daughter was found and buried in their home compound. I understood that her brother's wife and other daughter are buried in a mass grave. We asked Sr. Mary to come south with her brother and son. We will help them settle. On the 20th Sr. Rani and I are going to the east to see the situation there. Fr. Artur* is also coming on that day to pay a visit to the families of those boys who are in formation in the Philippines. 

Actually rebuilding of our nation is such a huge matter! As I understand it, the government, the army, the LTTE and the NGOs are in a struggle. There is an influx of foreign aid and people in our country. Those who arrive after negotiating with the government are okay but those groups who come privately are at a loss and I hear that the help of the natives is somewhat rejected. 

Right now I am trying to organize to be of help to a group from the Hungarian Caritas to which our Sr. Sylvia Vanek is attached. It seems that they did not connect with Caritas Sri Lanka. I will try to call the Director of Caritas and find out about this group. Well, at the moment, I do not understand many things. So now I am trying the religious Congregations in the eastern costal belt to find out if they need help. With the foreigners the language problem is also there. 

Now, our Country has begun the normal working schedule. So our Sisters are at their apostolic activities. Therefore I am finding it difficult to release Sisters to be with foreign groups. The media announces that the relief works are under way and symbolically they show many things happening but our Catholic paper said that the help does not reach the people in need. Simply, I cannot understand this situation. We feel handicapped. At the same time we have hope that later on we, the religious, can move on. Tomorrow the CMRS (Major Superiors) are having an emergency meeting. I hope that we will get organized. 

Well Sr. Grace Mary this is bit of the political situation in the Country. Yet the priests and the religious together with the parishioners in the unaffected areas are active in helping the displaced. As you can imagine, they need food, healthcare, housing, counseling, schooling, etc. 

Please thank the Sisters and please tell them we plan big depending on their monetary support. Of course that is a moral and spiritual support to us also knowing that we can give ourselves totally to our people. We are careful not to use a penny for ourselves. 

Shall stop for now. God bless you. Love Sister Beatrice Fernando, SDS, Provincial Superior, Sri Lanka.

* Father Artur Chrzanowski is the novice director for the Society of the Divine Savior's Asian novitiate in the Philippines. Some young men from Sri Lanka are in formation in the Philippines. 

In the province newsletter, INFORMATION, January 2005, S. Beatrice wrote to the sisters in Sri Lanka:

Let us light a Lamp of hope
And accept one another
As sisters and brothers of one family, one nation!

Tsunami 2004: 

We are grateful to the Generalate for sending Sr. Rani Fernando to be with us in solidarity, and giving us the most needed sum for relief aid. We have no words to express our gratitude for the concern and solidarity expressed by the entire Salvatorian Family. May God reward each and every one of you.

The Sisters have visited and worked for the people who suffer form Tsunami. On the 10th schools, Montessori schools and parish work will commence. That means we are back to a normal schedule. But let us not forget the December 26 disaster and suffering it has cost for all in our motherland. Let us continue to respond to the signs of the time and begin at home to live a new life.

At our provincial council meeting of 8th we decided the following:

• To accept about 20 girls from Probation who lost their parents from Tsunami disaster to our Children of Joy Home as we are extending the building during this year. 

• Also we decided to use a portion of the sum that Sr. Rani brought for the immediate needs and to keep the remainder for long term needs. We are reflecting how we can be of help to develop the lives of those who lost everything.

January 10, 2005 - Letter from Sister Rani Fernando, SDS, a member of the General Council of the Congregation.

I was in many places of the Tsunami disaster including camps to listen to the people. The stories are unbelievable and very sad indeed. Many are children who need psychological help.  The Major Superiors have arranged trauma counseling training sessions for religious to help the people who are affected. Many of our Sisters are helping in the camps. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be here with our people. Thank you for your concern and prayers.

Lovingly, Sister Rani Fernando, SDS, a member of the General Council of the Congregation.