The "Angel of Mercy" in East Timor
Sister Guillermina says her role as a nun who offers refuge is "a great blessing. I am free to save everyone without preference."
(East Timor)—The Canossian Sisters of Charity convent, once used as a training ground for about 200 nuns, has more recently become a place of shelter and refuge for 2,000 and more people who've sought to escape the region's gang wars.
Sister Guillermina is the keeper of the camp, and a keeper of the peace, as she houses families and former gang members alike. Since she started taking in refugees, there have been 103 babies born—only five of them girls.
Inside Sister Guillermina's house of refuge, strict rules help to quell aggressions, such as; not asking where a person is from, and no discussions of the gang rivals "East" and "West." Although weapons and alcohol are banned in the camp, Sister Guillermina has found and confiscated plenty of hidden makeshift weapons. She's even had to stop some fights outside her convent's walls. (Photo by: Tom Greenwood—BBC News)
In 2006, the courageous "angel of mercy" confronted gang members who were assaulting the place with rocks. "I locked the gate. I shouted: 'Please stop stoning because Sister Guillermina is coming,'" recalled the brave nun. "I am amazed that my voice is so strong at certain times."
Sister Guillermina says her role as a nun who offers refuge is "a great blessing. I am free to save everyone without preference."
To view the full story, and pictures of Sister Guillermina, by BBC News' Tom Greenwood, follow the link provided.
