José María Viadero belongs to the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God. He spent several years in Liberia, and was there during the Ebola emergency in 2014.
BR. JOSÉ MARÍA VIADERO
Hospitaller Order of St. John of God
“The Ebola experience marked my life. There's a before and an after. Even now when I look back at that period, I'm moved because it was a very powerful experience. We lost two Spanish missionary brothers.”
He recalled how hospitals in Liberia had to shut down, leaving many people to die of diseases that under other circumstances could have been cured. Those infected were taken to field hospitals from which they didn't return, as happened with another missionary, Br. Patrick.
BR. JOSÉ MARÍA VIADERO
Hospitaller Order of St. John of God
“Our brother, Patrick, was the first to die. After him, another brother died, then other staff members, whom we were able to bury in known sites. Br. Patrick however, is in a mass grave somewhere. We still don't know its exact location.”
Being a missionary has allowed him to achieve something for which he could be very proud: building bridges. It's also what Sr. Alejandra did in Chad, another of the world's poorest countries.
SR. ALEJANDRA MOREIRA JIMÉNEZ
Comboni Missionary
“You could say I had a late vocation, since I already had a job, two degrees.”
Alejandra felt that God was telling her she could do more. That's why she decided to become a missionary. She completed part of her formation in Chad, a country where Muslims make up the majority of the population. She says the people there appreciate missionaries because there's something that sets them apart from many NGOs: when war breaks out, the missionaries stay.
SR. ALEJANDRA MOREIRA JIMÉNEZ
Comboni Missionary
“We suffer, we live, we share joys and hardships. I think that's what makes the difference. Sometimes they say, 'We're suffering and going through this anguish. We don't know if we'll be alive tomorrow, but you stay with us anyway.'”
During her time in Chad, Alejandra discovered that interreligious dialogue is essential. It's a tool Pope Francis has often promoted—in his encyclicals, like “Fratelli tutti,” and in his document on Human Fraternity signed with the spiritual leader of the Sunnis in 2019.
Javier Romero
Translation: CT
