Father John's roof:
When tropical storm Noel battered our area, the parish clinic in Leonardo became a miserable place to live in, due to the many little holes in the roof. There are three levels of zinc roofing that can be purchased in the D.R.: numbers 34, 29 and 26. The thinnest material is number 34... the material on Father John's roof.
Accident:
We make plans and other things happen. Father John decided to come down out of the mountains as soon as the road reopened. He planned to offer his services in the Barahona area, where temporary shelters had been set up to deal with the families with submerged homes. But he made one trip to the airport to see if he could find zinc material to fix the clinic roof. Upon leaving the airport facilities, he had an accident and ended up being one of the few patients who had to be driven by ambulance from Barahona all the way to Santo Domingo. At the time, the local doctors thought he might have a blood clot on the brain.
Recovery:
Father John spent all of November with a nephew, south of Miami. His broken ribs began to heal and he regained enough strength to desire a fast return to the clinic. But his eyesight took longer than anticipated to recover. Still he pressed his on with the desire to return and be of service.
All lawyers are greedy and self interested?
Father John has never worked without his partner. He's there now... an angel hidden from view.
When he and his brother Mike finished high school, they each took a different direction in life. Mike entered law school and moved on to become a very successful lawyer. Along the way he developed a strong commitment to his brother's ministry. Father John could never have accomplished all the service to the poor that marks his life...had it not been for the financial support of his "wealthy" brother.
Mike to the rescue:
No sooner did Mike receive news that his brother had an accident, then he dropped all scheduling and flew down to Santo Domingo. He took charge of getting Father John up to Miami and in to see various specialists. He paid for a new vehicle for Father John and for new roofing materials for the clinic. In the picture you can see Alejandro unloading the new zinc.
Sunday:
Father John rode up to the clinic yesterday. He entered the newly roofed building and began the process of reactivating his work to serve the sick. You can still see the big gash on the left side of his head. The scabs have not healed and he is back looking to help people. Lots of people in the U.S.A. support different charitable causes. Mike has the unusual path of donating to a cause that is very efficient and self sacrificing...with practically no bureaucratic costs: his brother's ministry to the sick. Together they make a remarkably solid team that has blessed countless poor people.
