HEAL Blog
Welcome! Here we will post news and highlight the faces, needs, and services of HEAL.MOJ Sisters: Making the Mission!
If someone asked me for one reason why they should support HEAL, I would answer instantly, “the Messengers of Justice”! The Messengers of Justice (MOJ) religious order, founded by Deacon Leo Okonkwo with the spiritual charism of Jesus’ Self-Emptying (cf. Phil...
Hymns of Nigeria Uplift the Soul
St. Augustine famously said that when you sing you pray twice. In my travels to Nigeria, I’ve found that Augustine’s theology of song is vindicated abundantly. In the midst of life’s hardships in the rural villages, God’s people in Nigeria have a way through song...
Campaign to Educate Our Children
Quality education is more of a luxury in Nigeria than an available necessity. I wrote recently about how concern for day-to-day survival can diminish the importance of education in the minds of subsistence farming families. This is one of the main challenges to...
Challenges in Educating Servant Leaders
“Up and at 'em!”, my mom used to shout to me and my brothers every morning. She would have our brown paper bag lunch ready and off we’d walk to Our Lady of Loretto school in Hometown, Illinois. That same spirit that woke us up in the morning to go to school also...
The Joy of the Lord is my Strength!
Remember the Book of Job in the Old Testament? The lesson of Job is that whatever may go horribly wrong in our lives, God is always there with us. I recently wrote about a young man fittingly named Promise, a quadriplegic who developed a severe gluteal ulcer (bed...
HEAL’s First Village Health Outreach
“Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24). In our last newsletter, I told you the story of Promise, a young man in a terrible car accident who is now...
The Promise of Sr. Calista’s Legacy
As I prepare for my upcoming three week trip to Nigeria, from April 17th to May 9th, I am looking ahead with great hope for HEAL and our mission. Of course, it is only because I believe our Lord has called me into this mission that I have this hope even in the face of...
Rest In Peace Fr. Ambrose Osuagwu (1966-2017)
This last year has been an extremely difficult time period for the HEAL family in Nigeria. HEAL Founder, Deacon Leo, has suffered the loss of his mother, his elder sister, a beloved Reverend Sister, and, now, his best friend, Fr. Ambrose Osuagwu, who recently died at...
Rest In Peace Priscilla Okonkwo (1963-2017)
Almost one year after the passing of Bridget Okonkwo, mother of HEAL Founder Deacon Leo, we now report with sadness the passing of Deacon Leo’s elder sister, Priscilla. Priscilla was 52 years old and died of complications from hypertension and type A Diabetes. Upon...
Prayer on Ash Wednesday in Mbaise
HEAL is a Catholic mission that witnesses to the love of Jesus Christ to the poor and marginalized orphans, widows, and rural villagers in our care. Through the Spirit of self-emptying, the Messengers of Justice (MOJ) reach out in Jesus’ name to God’s people in...