Over Easter I heard from Sr. Bernadette at Pandipieri; she says Sylvanus is visiting the clinic regularly for treatment for his leg ulcer, and that there is progress. These things, especially in an older man, take a long time to heal, but its has stopped getting worse, which is good. The money I left with her for his treatment is lasting out, but I'm now trying to raise a little more from friends and people at church, (even a pound or two will go a long way) as his treatment may continue for several months. Bernadette is going to inform me of the safest way to send her money.
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Yes, its a Christmas pudding ! Sitting in a puddle of brandy after the flames died down ! The last several visits, I have each time taken a pud out with me for the fathers at Mill Hill, and especially for Father Hans, who loves Christmas pud ! I gave it to them, suggesting that as it was Lent while I was there, that they should save it and eat it at Easter; intentions were good but the flesh was weak, and the fathers decided it would be best eaten on the day they celebrate the mass for St Joseph, 20th March, so Rachel in the kitchen was trusted with the job of steaming the pudding.
Three of the fathers (two Dutch, one from Austria) tucking in ....
... and Fr. Hans on his second helping !
(He finished the left over pud the following day for breakfast !!)
Father Hans is reluctantly returning to Holland permanently at the end of April, as at the age of 88 and with his Parkinsons getting worse, he needs the (free) health care that is so much better in Holland. He has been in Kenya working as a priest for more than 65 years, and it was his dearest wish to die there and be buried among 'his' people in the slums, but it is not to be, and as a missionary priest, who presumably has taken vows of obedience, he has to return to his native Holland. He will live in the Mill Hill residential home near Oosterbeck, which Father Gerry retired to last year; Hans has a large family of nephews and nieces in Holland .... but not his African 'family'.
I have promised to send a Christmas pudding to him in Holland for next Christmas. And maybe visit Gerry and Hans ... I haven't been to Holland since I was in my 20's, so perhaps it is time for another visit !
Hans had previously given me copies of his two books; one about the origins of the Catholic church in western Kenya, and the other, 'Words of Passage' about the pilgrimage he made one year from his native Holland to Compostella and back again, on foot, to test out his new hip replacement ... he must have been over 70 at the time ! (I think he had actually done the pilgrimage before when in his 60's). An incredible man ...........
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