On March 1, 2017, Columban Sr Kathleen Melia was assaulted around 9:00pm just outside her home in the mountain town of Midsalip, which is located on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.
She had gone outside to close the wooden louvers that covered the windows. When she opened the door to go out, she was attacked by a masked man who applied a choke hold on her neck. Sr Kathleen managed to release his grip by gouging his eyes. She shouted for help. Her assailant hit her repeatedly in the face and the chest area.
In the course of her attack, Sr Kathleen fell backwards and broke her leg between her right knee and thigh. Neighbours heard her shouts, came to her aid and contacted the police. In the course of the attack the assailant made no attempt to enter the house or to steal anything from Sr Kathleen. His sole purpose seemed to attack Sr Kathleen. When neighbours came the man ran away.
Sr Kathleen was taken to the clinic in Midsalip which has no medical facilities. From there she was taken by ambulance on a painful 90km ride to the nearby city of Ozamiz. She arrived after midnight on March 2 and was admitted to Medina Hospital. In the course of her medical examination it was determined that Sr Kathleen needed a blood transfusion to increase her hemoglobin count.
Meanwhile, Columban Srs Sofia Natama, Teresita Bernad and Cecelia Cuizon, who live and work in Ozamiz, were concerned about getting Sr Kathleen safely to Manila where she could get proper care for her broken leg. Sr Kathleen has brittle bones and had bone repair surgery years ago in Manila.
Before Sr Kathleen could safely travel she needed a blood transfusion, but before that could happen the Sisters needed to find donors with Sr Kathleen’s B-Negative blood type. This blood type is rare in the Philippines where nearly everyone possesses positive blood types.
The Sisters spread the news that they needed B- blood. After four days of searching Columban Fr Paul Glynn found a seminarian in Cagayan de Oro, Dominador Amoncio, with B- blood. Dominador was rushed to Ozamiz in the company of Columban Lay Missionaries Irma Cantago and Auring Luceno. His blood was tested and deemed ok for use. After the long transfusion, Sr Kathleen made a slow 31-hour boat journey to Manila where she was taken by ambulance to Cardinal Santos Hospital.
On March 14, Sr Kathleen’s leg fracture was surgically repaired. Due to complications from a prior surgery on the leg, Sr Kathleen will not be able to put weight on her repaired leg for three months. She will need to use a walker until the leg and bone have healed and strengthened.
Sr Kathleen remains calmly involved in her recovery. While in Ozamiz she had many visitors from the Subanen indigenous community, who have known and worked with her for decades, as well as visitors she knows from Ozamiz.
I visited Sr Kathleen every day and on Sunday, March 5, celebrated Mass with her in the Ozamiz hospital with the Columban Sisters. On the morning of March 15, Sr Kathleen had her first therapy session in which she managed to sit on the side of her hospital bed. Sr Kathleen’s calm resolve during her ordeal and the efforts of the Subanen people and Columban Sisters have aided substantially and continue to aid her recovery.
We humbly ask for your prayers for Sr Kathleen as she recovers from the attack.
Columban Fr Vincent Busch provided this update about Sr Kathleen. Fr Vincent Busch has been a missionary in the Philippines since 1974.
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