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| Letter received Monday March 16, 2015 from Fr. Hattie via email. |
Below is my transcription of the above letter. I have taken the liberty of colorizing the background to simulate the Aerogram letters he used to send when he was in Uganda. I also have "corrected" any typos and/or light keystrokes (he literally types these on a manual typewriter). I have tried to remain faithful to the text and meaning of the original correspondence.
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My Dear Rick: Peace of Christ!
Please excuse my tardiness in writing to thank you sincerely for your kind and generous Gift of $XX.XX for my kids, but the list of donors came only yesterday evening. Since Sister Christine is a full time teacher, she can mail me the list of donors only on the 1st and 15th of each month and she has to keep Records for her Mother General in Africa. But, I am most grateful to you for your kindness.
For the past month or so I have been utterly devastated because the little 'street kid' that I picked up when he was just five has been kidnapped & flown to Saudi Arabia. This is surely the work of the Bank which is furious because he refused to testify vs. a man in court (said to have caused financial loss to the Bank) whom he doesn't even know. Evidently many VIPs in the Bank are involved & trying to save their skin.
The 2 kidnappers took him to an area that is 99.9% Muslim and notorious for forcing conversion to Islam on Christians, killing some and burning churches. The 2 of them snatched his Passport and are demanding $4500 in order to get it back & he hasn't a penny to his name. I am afraid that, in his desperation, he might attempt to commit suicide.
So, pray, pray, pray for a miracle. I have been encouraging him to go to the nearest Ugandan Embassy, but he is terrified lest they try to punish him further.
You are in my daily Mass & prayers,
Fr. Gene, S.J.
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Links:
http://ricketwrite.blogspot.com/p/letters-from-fr-hattie.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerogram
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uganda
Written: Thursday 19 March 2015
