The missionary from Modena (Luisa Guidotti Mistrali)
Luisa Guidotti Mistrali is a member of the Catholic Action in Modena, Italy. She finished the course of medicine and joined the Association of Women Doctor Missionaries because of her dream to become a missionary in Africa, just like her brothers. Her dream was fulfilled when she was sent to work in Rhodesia, presently called Zimbabwe. In her first three years, she worked in different hospitals while studying the culture and language of the natives. In 1969, she was sent to the All Souls Hospital in Mutoko, a poor hospital with only six huts and two washrooms. But because of help from God and her friends, she managed to turn the straw huts to buildings of masonry and founded a school for African nurses and an orphanage. In one of her letters, she wrote, “I am becoming a Shona (the Rhodesian tribe) and I am proud.” Her special concern were the abandoned lepers in the neighboring villages, whom she visited twice a week. The lepers saw in the Italian doctor a sweet and loving sister. But her love was often criticized. The hospital committee further alleged that Dr. Guidotti was over-spending on non-leprosy drugs and “unnecessary” travel expenses.
In 1976, during the civil war, Dr. Guidotti was arrested for helping a wounded guerilla boy without handing him over to the police. The crime accused to her was a serious one and is punishable by death. Dictator Ian Smith even called her the “white terrorist.” But Dr. Guidotti was apolitical and took no sides in the government conflict. Her hospital is always open for everyone. She was released four days later and was not allowed to go near the mission hospital or perform her job as a doctor. But because of international protest, Dr. Guidotti was fully acquitted of her crimes.
Dr. Guidotti’s life was spared from the dangers of the civil war, but out of love for her people, she returned to the hospital, where she was the only doctor. This brought her to greater risks of danger. Dr. Guidotti was left alone with the African nurses, since Sr. Caterina Savini, the head nurse, went back to Italy for a serious operation. She feels the weight of solitude, but she totally abandons herself to God’s will.
On July 6, 1979, Dr. Guidotti was driving her marked ambulance alone. She was going back to the hospital after bringing a woman to the hospital in Nyadiri. On the way home, she was stopped by a government police. She was shot from both sides of the road.
Her funeral was attended by a huge crowd of affected mourners, both black and white. She was seen as an example of the missionary spirit and charity, even to the point of death.
In 1976, during the civil war, Dr. Guidotti was arrested for helping a wounded guerilla boy without handing him over to the police. The crime accused to her was a serious one and is punishable by death. Dictator Ian Smith even called her the “white terrorist.” But Dr. Guidotti was apolitical and took no sides in the government conflict. Her hospital is always open for everyone. She was released four days later and was not allowed to go near the mission hospital or perform her job as a doctor. But because of international protest, Dr. Guidotti was fully acquitted of her crimes.
Dr. Guidotti’s life was spared from the dangers of the civil war, but out of love for her people, she returned to the hospital, where she was the only doctor. This brought her to greater risks of danger. Dr. Guidotti was left alone with the African nurses, since Sr. Caterina Savini, the head nurse, went back to Italy for a serious operation. She feels the weight of solitude, but she totally abandons herself to God’s will.
On July 6, 1979, Dr. Guidotti was driving her marked ambulance alone. She was going back to the hospital after bringing a woman to the hospital in Nyadiri. On the way home, she was stopped by a government police. She was shot from both sides of the road.
Her funeral was attended by a huge crowd of affected mourners, both black and white. She was seen as an example of the missionary spirit and charity, even to the point of death.
posted by Witness at 2:55 AM
4 Comments:
Dr Luisa Guidotti was killed because she didn't stop for a police roadblock in 1979 in Rhodesia. She was driving a dark sedan and not an ambulance. It was after curfew hours and in this area was a lot of terrorist activity. The police didn't know who was driving and opened fire.
In the booth of her car they found landmines of Chinese make. These mines were used to mine dirt roads in the rural areas. Many buses and trucks were destroyed by these mines. Killing passengers and drivers.
The Catholic church supported Mugabe as he is a Catholic and as China was giving Aid to Zanu PF it is understandable that the Catholic Mission of All Soul was transporting landmines. But it is not understandable from the human point of view why a doctor, working for a mission, would transport deadly cargo.
Further it is a disgrace of this blogger to call Ian Smith a dictator. He was not, he worked together with the African people who had a highly respect for him.
Ian Smith never ever had bodyguards while he was prime minister or afterwards. His front door was always open and anyone could walk in and have tea with him. More blacks then whites had tea with this remarkeble man.
It was the darling of the church Mugabe, who is one of the worst dictators that Africa ever had. He destroyed the second biggest economy in Africa and even the fantastic agriculture industry.
With the blessing of the Catholic church. Shame on you and tell the truth about Luisa Guidotti who is going to be declared as a saint, while many people died because of her actions, including a dear friend of mine.
While i can not argue on what actually happened ,but one thing i know is that Smith was a dictator.We africans had to fight a bitter war to dislodge this evil man and reclaim our independence.You almost make this man a saint ,but if you care how many of unarmed refugees were masacred in Chimoi and Nyadzonia in Mozambique by this Smith guy .He was good to the whites and its only you people who see him in that light.Just because Mugabe did some wrong does not make Smith right.
You Africans???
Over 80% of the Rhodesian army were black Africans, while the white Africans were conscript in the army, the black Africans were volunteers.
Chimoi, Nyadzonia, Westland Farm in Zambia, don't forget, were all terrorist training camps. Refugees? From whom? The majority of the BSAP were black Africans, if the majority of the armed forces were black Africans, why didn't they have a coup if it was so bad in Rhodesia? They were armed.
I am sorry but the villages that were wiped out, were wiped out by the so-called "freedom fighters" and they weren't kind in what they did.
Ian Smith was born there, he was elected and he always had a good relationship with the real African leaders, the elected chiefs.
Mugabe did some wrong? Are you sleeping or what! This evil man destroyed on purpose the 2nd best economy in Africa. He destroyed the farming community and caused over 2 million refugees, who lost everything, their work, their homes, their future. Black and white.
Mugabe did "some" wrong....he did murdered over 20.000 Ndebeles but nobody said anything.
He destroyed:
Healthcare
Education
Police
Justice system
Farming
Businesses
Security
Infrastructure
He caused:
Corruption
Jails were people are starving.
Poaching
Wiping out wildlife
He is the most evil person in Africa at this moment.
He was helped by the communist countries, by the left-wing in the western world, and by the Catholic church.
I was there, I have my documents and I have seen it. I have nursed his victims.
I think that you are too young to have been there. You probably live outside Zimbabwe and you believe the one sided stories you hear.
Read the following page and you see that the terrorists also killed missionary's.
http://www.rhodesia.nl/mission.htm
The Police had nothing to do with the shooting. The checkpoint was maned by elements of 1 BN Guard Force, Mtoko. The Officer in charge gave immediatly first aid and casevaced the shoot person to the next hospital.
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