You Gotta Have Faith

The Sisters of St. Mary Immaculate of Gulu have a retirement community on the grounds of Lacor Hospital. Each year when the team from Medical Missions arrives, they make sure to carve out time to visit the convent and provide check-ups for the nuns who are such a vital party of the community. This week, our clinic team comprised of Don Hodson, Mandy Sims, Kay Johnson and Tammy Minshall made a visit to the good sisters.

There are presently 11 nuns who reside this simple, peaceful home just doors from the bustling halls of the hospital. Considering the life expectancy of women in this country is only 59 years, it is truly a gift from God that these women remain within the walls of St. Mary’s Lacor. Some have failing sight while others, failing memories, the one thing that will never fail these ladies is their tremendous faith. Their continued impact can also be evidenced by the number of novices currently studying to become the next generation of nuns – a whopping 30!

“I was at daily mass when I looked over to see my mother,” Sister Paulina explained. “That was a bit worrisome because she never went to mass during the week, only on Sunday. After mass she came up to me in the back of church and grabbed me. She pulled out a large butcher knife and held it to my throat. The ladies in the church begged with her to let me go, that God had called me but she shouted, ‘No, she is mine.” I don’t know how or why but she finally let me go so after that I never talked about the convent again, instead I planned in secret. Once I had saved enough, I just left, left my family at 15 and ran to the convent. A year later, she showed up at the convent – that really worried everyone because they knew what she had done – but I went to her and she put her arms around me and kissed my face. God had changed her mind.”