Hospitaller sisters expand mission to aid people with mental disabilities in Timor-Leste
By Sr. Isabel Santamaría Benito, HSC
Ever since her adolescence, Sr Isabel Martins, of the Congregation of Sisters Hospitallers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, dreamed of becoming a missionary. For her, “to be a missionary meant going far away, distancing myself from those I loved the most, in order to give more of myself to others."
Isabel eventually understood that being a missionary in the heart did not necessarily require great physical distances, but being close to the needy.
“I have always wanted to be close to other cultures, and other people, to whom I could give a bit more of myself through my poverty, and at the same time, to receive more from others, not to accumulate external wealth, but to enrich the spirit and free myself inwardly,” she said, recalling her vocation.
A call to create something new
Her dream came true that same year, when she received the news from her superior.
“Yes, the Sister can go to Timor-Leste, we think she could be one of the first…” Elizabeth thanked God for His presence, the Congregation and the many people she had met, near and far. She began to prepare herself.
Outward bound
From the time of her arrival in Timor, along with two Sisters, Sr Isabel began her work. The first step was to establish a Hospitaller Community, to go to the streets to meet the neighbours and create a network of relationships among all the people involved.
“Believe me, here we go out, we go out, we go out,” the Sister says. Every day, they visit people who live nearby, to meet the relatives of their patients and to visit others who live far away. They have gone through some difficult times, but without feeling discouraged, they can be a sign of hope in the lives of many marginalized people.
Four years after arriving in Timor-Leste, in August 2023, they opened the Saint Benito Menni Centre for Mental Health, a space for early diagnosis, in which to carry out screening and treatment consultations, monitor diagnosed patients, reduce the family stigma associated with mental disease and train new professionals.
The miracle of God’s action
With the humility of a God who is near, Sr. Elizabeth recognizes the richness of his presence in Timor-Leste.
“We see it in the faces of many patients. When we are by their side and embrace them, we are confirming to their relatives and neighbours that despite the disability they have, their lives continue to have the same value and dignity,” she said about her experience in the country.
Even though some patients are still unstable, most of them are well integrated in their own families. As the treatments gradually have effect, “small miracles” happen. Families are more involved, which is fundamental for the recovery of patients.
Successes and new challenges
Ever since they opened the centre, the Sisters have looked after 72 psychiatric patients and brought Holy Communion to an additional 26 elderly and ill people in Timor-Leste.
One of the great challenges is how to help people get to the Occupational Therapy Service because access to the centre is difficult and the majority of families cannot afford the transportation.
“We want to believe that challenges are typical of mission and that the majority of them are not impossible to overcome. No doubt, God does not leave us alone. He is there when we go out. He is there when we stop and reflect... He is always there,” concluded Sr. Elizabeth regarding the challenges of the mission.
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