Your gifts send Susan to Lourdes

Sydney
10 August 2003

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Your gifts send Susan to Lourdes

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Your gifts send Susan to Lourdes

By Chris Lindsay

More than $21,000 has been raised in little more than two weeks to send Susan Gunderson, a quadriplegic mother of two young children, on a pilgrimage to Lourdes.

News of Susan’s plight was published in The Catholic Weekly on July 27 and, at the time of going to press to this edition, 214 people had contributed to the fund - many after reading that article (pictured) - with donations still turning up every day.

A deaf woman has given $3000 she was planning to use for a pilgrimage to Lourdes herself, saying that as she is now getting a cochlear implant she does not need the money.

Susan and 15 other pilgrims will now leave Australia on September 2 for a pilgrimage to Paris, Nevers, Lourdes, San Giovanni Rotondo, Pietralcina (St Padre Pio’s birthplace), Monte San Michele and Rome.

The party will include Susan’s husband Steven and Capuchin Fr Carmel Flora.

Susan has been a quadriplegic since she was struck down by a brain haemorrhage in Brisbane in May 1996; she has been unable to speak except through an electronic voice synthesiser, and unable to care for herself or her children.

Nicole King, a close friend, said the generosity shown towards Susan is “astounding”.

“The response to Susan’s appeal has been so overwhelming, we are in shock,” she said.

“There has been the most tremendous outpouring of love and charity from all over the country, resulting in a total to date of $21,000.

“In fact, with a fundraising concert still to come, it looks almost certain that enough money will be raised to pay for the fare of another chronically ill person to go on the pilgrimage.

“The lady we have in mind, a tireless worker for the Church, has been recently diagnosed with a secondary lung cancer.

“This woman, in her 40s, is a mother of four with three grandchildren.”

She was widowed last year.

Nicole said: “We feel sure that the choice of her will have the blessing of the benefactors to this appeal.”

She added that she received a donation for the Susan Gunderson Appeal from a Catholic Weekly reader on August 1, accompanied by a note saying: “There but for the grace of God go I”.

Nicole said: “I think these powerful words summarise the feelings of many of our correspondents.

“Who could know what the future holds for any of us? One could only hope that were we in Susan’s situation, we would receive the same level of support that Susan has.

“We said the nine-hour novena to the Infant of Prague, the Little King, asking for assistance in the appeal, and then we received a donation from the Little King’s Movement for the Handicapped in Brisbane.

“We had never had contact with them before. That is the first miracle associated with this appeal.

“The Little King answered our prayers.

“When we rang Marist Br Des Phillips, who is associated with the Little King movement, to thank him and tell him of the success of the appeal, he responded with the words of Our Lord: “If you honour me, I will honour you”.

Nicole said Susan’s supporters had been praying through the intercession of St Padre Pio for her recovery.

On the third day of her daughters and other children praying at St Joachim’s Primary School, Holland Park, Susan was enrolled at St Pio’s tomb in Italy for daily Mass.

“Fr Carmel Flora, who is accompanying the pilgrimage, said a novena of Masses for Susan’s complete recovery,” Nicole said. “She has been gradually improving and doing little things that she had previously been incapable of.

“However, at the end of the first week back at school this term, Steven Gunderson said that Susan was unable to take any steps (she was previously able to manage 20 to 30 steps).

“Susan said to him that the children had stopped praying, which my daughter Ella later confirmed, their routine at school being upset by the holidays.

“However there has been a good outcome from this setback and the children’s grade four teacher has now taken it upon herself to ensure that the whole class prays one decade of the Rosary every morning before school, resulting in a complete mystery by week’s end. We all know that with prayer, all things are possible.”

Nicole said a friend arrived yesterday with an envelope given to him by a lady in his parish. Inside were twenty $50 notes “all given with the love of Christ”, she said.

If you want further information or want to join Susan and company call Caterina Bamonte of ATI Tours on 1300 888 997 or caterina @atitours.com.au or Nicole King on (07) 3342 0777.