SOUTH SUDAN: Religious Sister shot in South Sudan has died
Rev. Sr. Veronica Rackova, a member of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Spirit (SSPS), who was shot and seriously wounded in South Sudan, has died. Sr. Veronica was allegedly shot by Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) soldiers on Monday May 16 at 1.00 am East African time while on her way back to the convent after taking an expectant lady to another health center to deliver.
She died on Friday May 20 at the Nairobi Hospital in Kenya, where she had been flown on Monday morning for specialized treatment following the shooting incident.
According to Sr. Nancy a member of her congregation who accompanied her to Nairobi, Sr. Veronica had suffered serious injuries on her hip bone as well as numerous perforations on her intestines and other internal organs.
At around midnight on Monday, Sr. Veronica received an emergency call from a woman who had complications giving birth, which could not be dealt with at the health center the that the sisters run. She used St Bakhita’s ambulance to drive the woman to Harvester’s Health Center, a more specialized facility for women and children. “The facility is more or less 10 kilometers from our place. She was midway on her way back when the incident occurred,” Sr. Nancy explained.
At the time of the incident, Sr. Veronica who was 58 years old was alone in the ambulance because the driver had gone home. “The incident happened near a factory and luckily she was able to scream and attracted the attention of factory workers who came and took her to the same Harvester’s hospital where she was coming from.”
She suffered two cardiac arrests and was in a coma for four days. Sr. Veronica who is a native of Slovakia has been working in South Sudan for the last six years. She is among the pioneer members of the congregation in Sudan where currently they were only six members from Argentina, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the late Sr. Veronica was from Slovakia.
The Late Sr. Veronica previously worked in Ghana, before coming to South Sudan. According to Sr. Maria Jerly, SSPS, the Regional Superior for South Sudan and Ethiopia whom the incident found in Nairobi, the congregation is shocked. Arrangements are now underway for her burial in Kenya, in collaboration with the Society of Divine Word (SVD), a Congregation founded by the same founder as SSPS. Burial is expected to be held on Thursday May 26.
Meanwhile Yei Catholic Diocese Secretary General Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Sebit has said that the shooting of Sr. Veronica was a very isolated case. “Yei is quite peaceful as opposed to other parts of South Sudan where the conflict has been going on,” Speaking to AMECEA Online News on phone from Sudan Fr. Sebit said the unfortunate incident happened on the eve of anniversary celebrations to mark 30 years of the formation of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
“Because of the celebrations, the army had been deployed in major towns for security reasons and they were mounting road blocks on major high ways; otherwise Yei is quite peaceful hence the shooting of Sr. Veronica has shocked to the whole nation,” Fr. Sebit explained.
So far three suspected SPLA Soldiers have been arrested and are being held by the police as investigations continue.
May the Soul of Sr. Veronica Rest in Eternal Peace
By Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Online News
