Sa gitna ng pagkalat ng Ebola virus sa West Africa, apat na Pinoy na misyonero na kabilang sa Order of Agustinian Recollect ang nagpasyang manitili at paglingkuran ang mga mamamayan ng Sierra Leone.
Ang apat ay nakilala sa CBCP News na sina Bro. Jonathan Jamero, Fr. Roy Baluarte, Fr. Russell Lapidez, at Fr. Dennis Castillo.
Kasama ng apat na Pinoy sa Sierra Leone ay ang mga misyonerong Kastila na sina Fr. Jose Luis Garavoa, at Fr. Rene Gonzales.
“We are all afraid but we choose to be with our people to continue to give hope to them especially during this time of difficulties. Preaching the Gospel and at the same time sensitizing the people about the Ebola virus gives new meaning to our work of evangelization,” ayon kay Lapidez.
“We are staying and we will continue the mission entrusted to us by the Church. And since we decided to stay with the people whom we are serving, we are then bound to take part in the government effort of informing the people of the reality and the threat of Ebola virus, as well as, how to protect themselves from contracting it,” dagdag niya.
Sa kabila nito, nagpapatupad ng pinag-ibayong pagiingat ang mga misyonero upang hindi kumalat ang nakamamatay na sakit tulad ng paggamit ng water-cleanser sa mga kapilya at kumbento. - Leslie Ann G. Aquino