Newsletter

My name is Antonio Alberto Aquino. I was born and live in El Salvador. I am 24 years old and a law student at the University of El Salvador. I have worked for the Supreme Court of Justice of El Salvador for the last 6 years. Maybe you are wondering what this has to do with your ministry?

My parents died during the civil war that devastated my country during the 1980s. I was raised in COAR (Comunidad Oscar Arnulfo Romero) in Zaragoza, El Salvador, where I was cared for by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. What I remember the most are the people whose faces and love I keep in my heart and in my mind.

My Mothers

One of them is Sr. Stanislaus Mackey, whom I call Mother Stan. I remember running after her and holding on to her blue skirt and walking with her towards the clinic. It was because of her that we went to the clinic; it was for her that we endured the vaccinations, because we knew that after the pain we would have her love and some candy as a reward. I have tears in my eyes when I remember her. She was our mother. She was a woman of few words, but words were not necessary, if we had a hand that would play with our hair and dry our tears while she took care of our scratches.

I still remember her kneeling while cleaning our knees with peroxide water, and her loving scolding telling us not to climb on the trees or not to be running, while we cried our eyes out. And her scolding was never mean to me because she would always have a loving touch on my head.

When she was away on a trip, I would run away from dentist, from the shots, because she was not there to take care of me. I remember now the snacks she made for us from the hosts that had been broken and had not been consecrated yet by Father Ken. She would fix them with milk and some sugar, and it was such a treat for us when we arrived to the clinic to help her clean and put everything in order when there were not so many patients left. We had fun doing that.

I would cry when she was away on a trip, and I would go to the airport with the Sisters to receive her. I still can see her veil flowing in the wind, and she had a different smell in her hands and her clothes than the scent that I was used to of her dispensing medicines at the clinic.

Another person that I remember is Mother Lelia (McNamara), whose name is difficult to remember as we knew her as “Mother Vick”, because she would give us “Vick’s candy” with orange flavor. When Mother Stan left COAR Mother Lelia was there to console us with patience and love. In contrast to Mother Stan, she was talkative and always had a fun phrase. She was my second mother. I remember one afternoon sitting next to her while it was raining and telling her that it was raining, and seeing her smile because she had already noticed that it was raining.

Mother Audrey (Walsh) was a little strict but very patient. She was wise and patient. Her work was in administration, and I remember telling her once that there was a big spider in her office and she ran out immediately because she was afraid of spiders. I remember going up the hill to the big house with her while she would lecture us wisely because we had had problems at school, and stop while she paused on the way to catch her breath and rest, while she would put both her hands at her waist. She was my third mother.

Mother Patty (Sister Mary Patricia Driscoll), my fourth mother, was the one that lovingly took care of me once I got sick. I remember sitting on her lap while she fed me chicken soup from a cup, while everyone else ate at the table. My fever would go down when she would go to my bunk bed and would place wet cloths on my forehead. Her loving care would make it easier to bear the pain. One time when she was checking my temperature I threw up on her, but she did not care about that, she still took care of me.

Each one of these persons has been a mother that God put in my life, when my own mother had gone. I love them with all my heart and bless the day that they came in my life. I hope to see them again some day; it is my deepest with. Mother Stan is no longer with us, but her love is in my heart until God calls me to His presence. Each one of them made it possible for me to be what I am today.

I thank and bless God the Father for the mothers that He gave me. They were my mothers and angels that God gave me to ease the pain of having lost my parents.

May God bless all the Sisters of the Incarnate Word for your work. When you see Mother Audrey, please give her a hug for me and the tears that are now on my face.