Message of Abbot Paul - Monday 30th January 2023

Dear friends in Christ, I apologise that it hasn’t been possible to prepare a message for today. Yesterday was a particularly busy Sunday and, in the end, I ran out of time. Nevertheless, I assure you of my prayers for you and your loved ones.

 

Please could I ask a prayer for Fr Alex, the Prior of our Peruvian monastery, who is having major surgery today or tomorrow. For many years Fr Alex has suffered from Achalasia, a rare disorder of the oesophagus, the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach. It is characterized by impaired ability to push food down toward the stomach (peristalsis), failure of the ring-shaped muscle at the bottom of the oesophagus, the lower oesophageal sphincter (LES), to relax. It is the contraction and relaxation of the sphincter that moves food through the tube. The symptoms of achalasia typically appear gradually. Most people with this disorder experience an impairment in the ability to swallow (dysphagia) as a major and early symptom. There may also be mild chest pain that comes and goes. Some affected individuals experience pain that is very intense. Retention of saliva and ingested food in the oesophagus may often cause regurgitation of these contents; in addition, such contents may also be propelled into the lungs during breathing (tracheobronchial aspiration). Other symptoms of this disorder may include a cough during the night and significant weight loss, because of difficulty in swallowing, in cases that remain untreated. Dry eyes (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) and dry mouth (xerostomia) are not unusual in patients with achalasia. The aspiration of saliva and food contents by people with achalasia may cause pneumonia, other pulmonary infections, or even death. The incidence of oesophageal cancer is significantly increased in patients with achalasia.

 

I know I can rely on you to remember Fr Alex in your prayers. We pray that surgery will be successful and that he will soon recover from the operation. I also ask you to pray for a benefactor in Lima who has made it possible for Fr Alex to have the operation in a private hospital. I am hoping to visit our brethren in Peru from 1st to 16th March. God bless you.