By Newswatchgh.com Editorial Team
Sr. Hagar Zuuri of the Sisters of Mary Immaculate (SMI) from the Catholic Diocese of Wa in Ghana, studying Religious Sciences in Rome, has shared her experience on the coronavirus pandemic, saying that “We are very scared about the whole issue because we least expect that it will go to that extend.”
The situation terrible that they are finding it difficult to control it, because each day the rate of new cases keep on increasing and many have lost their lives,” she added. “To our fellow Ghanaians living in Italy, our advice to you is that you should be courageous and keep calm with the situation and try as much as possible to be practicing the measures put in place and trust in God that we are save in His hands, we hope the Lord is in control.”
She assured dioceses and families back in Ghana that by divine protection they are save, “so they should not be afraid they should continue to pray for us as we do for them and we hope that the Lord will see us through.”
Sharing his experience also, Fr. Michael Quaicoe, a Doctoral Student of Canon Law from the Archdiocese of Cape Coast, explained that “As a Ghanaian priest studying in Rome, my feeling about the coronavirus pandemic, save the awareness and nostalgia of being away from home, seems similar to everyone resident here: a sense of powerlessness in the wake of an invisible yet ferociously deadly force.”
According to him “the regular updates on new cases and casualties don’t do much to mitigate the inevitable atmosphere of panic, but having to be confined to the four walls of one’s room offers its own uncomfortable feeling of claustrophobia. In all of this bleak scenario, however, one doesn’t despair.”
“The advice for my fellow countrymen in this foreign land is to be as adherent as can be to the directives that have been issued by the state in these very uncertain times, bearing in mind the consequences of infringements on these decrees for the common good,” he emphasized.
As much as humanly possible, he cautioned: “let us avoid being infected, knowing that regardless of what one might wish to believe, our prior experiences must teach us that we will not be priority in receiving care and treatment.”
He said that “some family members, friends and colleagues have been kind enough to ask after us and to show concern,” and expressed gratitude to them, saying that “for those with whom there hasn’t as yet been any contact, we will like to assure them that God’s grace is sustaining us so far.”
“It would be helpful for all bishops, especially those who have students here to show solidarity and fraternal charity in these dire situations, he said, revealing that “sadly whilst some Bishops have contacted their priests and religious, some others have not as yet send even an email or a call to check on their priests and religious regardless of the frightening reports about the pandemic especially about Italy.”
