When I go into the hospital. I feel like I am going into a foreign county. Hospital are places of grace. At times I feel like I am on a battle field, giving Last Rites to 3 people in only an hour..

I was baptized by a Fr Matt Menger OMI on June 1 1969 at the capital of Laos. In his book ‘Valley of the Mekong’ He relates how he went into the Jungle to find a dying Buddhist Monk who wanted to be baptized. He writes ‘ We pulled our gear out of the plane and started walking over to the village of Nam Bac. A group of villagers off in the distance, was headed our way. Suddenly I noticed a young boy racing ahead of the group. When he reached me, he said excitedly, ‘Khoun Pha!’ Hurry… he panted out a story of an old man who was dying and he asked to talk to a Catholic Priest. The dying man was a former Buddhist Monk!

He pleaded with me to baptize him. ‘ My first convert in Laos was on his way to Heaven. ( 51 52)

Every year I Baptize and confirm between 25 to 30 people a year. One was a doctor from Vietnam who was given the Silver Medal by the US, but put into a labor camp by the Communist because of this. His daughter was baptize years earlier and offer up all her suffering that her dad would be baptized. He is dying at the Hospital and I offer to baptize him. He says ‘Yes’ and I baptize him and give his Confirmation with St Faustina as Saint. And give him his first Holly Communion, which was his only Holy Communion as he died the next day. The last thing he ate was the Eucharist..

Being in the Hospital is like being a missionary in a foreign country!!