Caution

The seminarians spent the afternoon at the hospital again today. When I arrived I was waved away from the gate by the seminary president who was on his cell phone to union leaders. The striking workers had warned him that if we went in to the hospital they would call a crowd who would make it difficult for us to get out again. He negotiated, and as far as I understand, it was agreed that we could go in for two hours, we were to clean the wards, but not care for patients and one of the union members would come with us. There were a handful of policemen and a handful of strikers.
In the end we went in and out quite uneventfully.
I know that the strikers want more money, but I can't see the justice in allowing helpless people to suffer as a tool to get their own way.
But I am glad that we could make a contribution. And those taking the laundry to the seminary residences and operating the machines have been working way beyond the few hours spent at the hospital. It is good to see people willing to give and to sacrifice themselves for others.