Continuation from => https://www.ofmcap.org/it/curia/nostri-blog/segretariato-generale-della-formazione/item/2986-witnessing-integral-formators-of-our-time
Through his creative Initiatives Fra. Salim Rizkallah our Capuchin brother had run the “Voice of Charity,” Radio station to help the migrant workers in Lebanon. It was interesting to note that he had also set up a post office box to help the migrant workers. Once posts arrived Br. Salim used to announce about it so that people could come and collect their letters from the place specified. He showed me number of sheets of paper where he has written so many names of the migrant workers and their contact numbers. Over the phone he was able to help a lot. All these was done by networking with a group of good willed people who are selfless lawyers, doctors and social workers from Lebanon who used to do these humanitarian service with minimum compensation.
Noble humanitarian reach out
The Laksehta centre (Lebanon), like caritas migrant centre, in 1980s and late 1990s did a lot of service by catering to the many migrant working women and also non-arab, Afro Asian migrants. One of their main apostolate was to visit the detained migrants and others who are incarcerated. They got to know the grievances of them and other migrants thoughtfully. It was then brought to the knowledge of the government officials and employers. It helped the migrants to register themselves properly and also brought reconciliation between the employers and the migrants.
I was impressed to know from the volunteers that Fr. Saleem used to get back the confiscated documents of the migrants in difficulty by dialoguing with the employers and sometimes he had to have pay the fine or compensation. The migrants women who ran away from their working places were able to find asylum in Laksehta. Being there they were given medical treatment, counselling and also had a possibility to find a new job. The most touching part was the burial service rendered to the migrants who died during the work. Laksehta had burial vaults at the Roman Catholic Cemetery at Fanar to place the remains of the dead before they are repatriated to their respective countries. But here also Fr. Salim had a different approach for the poor. He used to tell the relatives not to spend too much of money in repatriating the body. At the end of the year the remains were put in separate bags with name identification. His suggestion was to take the insurance company money when it arrives and at the end of the year take the remains kept in that bag at the burial vaults to bury it in their respective countries, when possible, with less expenses.
May God inspire many more people to follow the integral compassionate way of our Brother, Capuchin Friars of Lebanon, Religious, Caritas Members and his generous friends there in Lebanon. Now being retired from his active ministry he inspires us with his very presence. We are proud of you Br. Salim Rizkallah.
Fra. Charles Alphonse Ofm Cap
General Secretary for Formation
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Segretariato Generale della Formazione
It is a time of blessing and preparation for our 41 Capuchin Brothers, most of them formators and friars from Various parts of India who participate in this Formators Training and the ongoing formation course. It helps to update themselves in Franciscan Spirituality, Spiritual Discernment in Franciscan Perspective, Social Media, Human and Psychosexual affectivity and Spiritual Integration. Keep them in your prayers. You will find more about it in our Formation Office Blog in our Orders web: www.ofmcap.org/.
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Segretariato Generale della Formazione
