We are writing on behalf of Fr Joe Camilleri, an ageing, but highly dedicated missionary, who badly needs financial help to continue his noble work.

Fr Camilleri has been a missionary in Guatemala for the past 13 years. Although when he was originally asked to go to Guatemala, he already had a long history of missionary work behind him (having spent 25 years in New York, three years in the Philippines and two years in Amazonia), he did not hesitate to respond willingly and offer his services briefly to the people of Guatemala, even though he had been looking forward to spending the rest of his days surrounded by his closely-knit family and working as a counsellor and spiritual advisor to the foreign residents of Gozo.

However, no sooner had Fr Joe set foot in Jalpatagua, Guatemala, and seen the misery and helplessness of his numerous parishioners (most of whom live in mud-huts) that he decided to dedicate the rest of his days to helping them to raise their standard of living and, hopefully, become independent.

Within a few years, thanks to Fr Joe’s hard work and dedication, and also to the generosity of the benefactors who have helped both financially and by going over in groups to help him realise his projects, his parish was boasting a clinic where about 50 people a day were being treated, a home where sick and undernourished children were nursed back to health by the few Sisters of Mercy who help Fr Joe, and water flowing down the mountains was channelled into newly-dug wells, thus making communal agriculture possible.

Then, realising that many of his parishioners were dying on their way to the nearest hospital, which was about 60 miles away and accessible only over rough country tracks, Fr Camilleri decided to build a hospital in his parish, even though he realised that this was indeed a Herculean task.

Now, three years later, thanks to Divine Providence and the generosity of so many benefactors and groups of helpers who worked so willingly, the hospital building is ready. However, it still has to be equipped before it can become functional. Consequently, Fr Joe still needs all the help he can get and would appreciate it greatly.

Donations can be made either by sending a blank SMS (5061-7372 for Lm1, 5061-8066 for Lm2 or 5061-8911 for Lm3) or by sending cheques, addressed to Fr Joe Camilleri, either to his sister at 28 St Zachary Street, Xewkija, or to our address at Victoria, 169 Fleur-de-Lys Road, Fleur-de-Lys, Birkirkara BKR 08.

Charles and Lina Thake

Birkirkara