Passionist Pilgrims in Action.

Fr Peter Gardiner CP is a Passionist Priest and currently a member of the Passionist community at ‘The Monastery’, Glen Osmond, Adelaide, Australia.

A part of Fr Peter’s ministry is his role as Chaplain at the Christian Brothers College, Adelaide and in September 2010, he led a pilgrimage of students from the college to the Philippines where they lived and worked with the poor in Manila and on the island of Negros. ‘The kids there’, Fr Peter said, ‘are dirt poor, yet they possess enormous dignity and talent’.

Then in December 2010, he led a Passionist Pilgrimage to Vietnam, again to work among the poor, the disabled and the disadvantaged. This is Fr Peter’s story:

On December 1st, 2010, 33 Pilgrims, from the ages of 17 to 73, set out for the inaugural Passionist Pilgrimage to Vietnam. The group comprised participants from Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Hobart, Brisbane and New Zealand.

The prime objective of the pilgrimage was to work at Phu My Orphanage, Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam.

Phu My Orphanage is home to nearly 300 abandoned children, all suffering from various disabilities, and requiring special needs. Some are more able bodied than others, while most are confined to beds, or need to be transported.

Phu My has been under the care of the Sisters of St Paul de Chartres since 1875, though in recent years the government has asserted more control over the orphanage. The sisters still provide a great deal of pastoral care, and live on the premises.

Because of a change in directors this year, we were unsure whether we would be able to help in Phu My. So, with the assistance of Andrew Duong, a friend of fellow Passionist Fr Jeff Foale CP, we provided assistance to a number of other facilities, offering help and hope to the Crucified of Christ:

• The Annunciation Orphanage, under the direction of Sr Cu, home to 50 children.
• The House for the Blind Woman, under the direction of the Franciscan, Sr Hong Loan.
• The Buddhist Cooking House, which distributes 3000 meals a day, many to the hungry at the public hospital.
• The MaiTam shelter, which provides education and support to the families affected by AIDS, as well as a hospice for those who are in the terminal stages AIDS

As part of their preparation, the pilgrims raised money to donate to the various people we met. Over $18,000 was donated to the people who were part of our journey.

I would like to thank all amongst our Passionist family who supported these pilgrims, whether by your prayer, solidarity, or fund raising. Your support made a difference to those who carry their cross every day.

Peter CP.

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