Columban lay missionary Angie Escarsa (right), with some volunteers at the Ballymun Tidy Towns. Photo: Angie Escarsa
"Preach everywhere you go and, if necessary, use words." St Francis of Assisi
As Columban missionaries, we try to live out the Gospel message by witnessing the love of God to others, especially in our response to the mission priorities of migrants, refugees, and biodiversity protection and restoration.
In my experience, sometimes words are inadequate to convey care and compassion to another person, especially those who speak a different language. Every time I step into the room of Tara, the woman I met in a Dublin City nursing home, I have this profound realisation that witnessing the Gospel message truly knows no boundaries, including those of language.
I got to know Tara, a refugee from Ukraine, through my ministry in two nursing care homes, which I visit every Friday. Tara has no one around as almost all her family have died during the war in Ukraine. She is 73 years old and has no English. She is overweight and suffers from swollen legs and feet. As a result, it is very difficult for her to walk or even to stand up.
When I first went to visit Tara in the nursing home, I had to ask a few people, including the nurses, where her room was as it was quite hard for me to find! When I arrived at her room, I noticed that her door was slightly ajar and had a yellow plastic ribbon attached with the words “Please do not enter”.
As I stood at the entrance, I saw a woman lying on the bed. I greeted her and spoke her name to make sure she was the lady I wanted to see. She uttered the word “yes”, but there was no sign of a smile on her face. I smiled at her and asked if I could come in. She seemed to understand and nodded her head, so I entered the room.
I told her my name and mentioned the name of her carer (the person who first made me aware of Tara), and her face lit up. I asked how she was. In response, she took out her phone, put the translator on and started speaking into it. Then she showed me the translation.
I now understood that she was waiting for the social worker, and she thought it was me. I told her I was not but had come to see her. She was a bit taken aback and seemed to lose interest in me. I tried to make conversation by telling her I was glad to meet her. She told me it was not easy to talk because she had little English. With nothing to say and her becoming uneasy, I said goodbye, promising to see her again next Friday and left the room.
I felt my visit had been useless because I had not done anything for this woman. The language barrier was too great. I realised how difficult it was for a refugee to be in a place like a nursing home with no family members to talk to. Then, the realisation dawned on me that my presence could be more important than any words I could utter. Now I understood how necessary it was for her to meet people - she was spending too much of her day lying on her bed, alone in her room. Despite the language barrier, the presence of another person trying to connect and show her care was more valuable than any spoken word or conversation.
So, I resolved to continue to visit Tara without being too preoccupied with the difficulties in our verbal communication. It would be a ministry of presence in which I would try to give witness to the compassion of Jesus. By consistently turning up, I could show her I was there for her. Just this week, I had the chance to see Tara again, and she looked much better. Without words, I gently gave her hands and legs a massage. In that way, I could express my care for her.
Columban lay missionary Angie Escarsa lives and works in Ireland.
Related links
- Read more from The Far East - May 2025
