HANDICAPPED CENTER LOURDES

Caritas Compound
2002 Jesus St., Pandacan, Manila
P.O. Box 4453, 1000 Manila
E-mails: HealthHandicap@skyinet.ph
Moortgat@dlsu.edu.ph
Tel: 563-9276 Fax: 521-0827
Exec. Director: Fr. Luke R. Moortgat, CICM, PhD

On February 11, 1993, feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, His Eminence, Cardinal Sin, suggested to Fr. Luke Moortgat, CICM, PhD.  The Chaplain of the deaf, to have a center for the handicapped persons.

Father Luke was quite surprised.  In fact, the same idea had happened to come into his mind.  When he had an unexpected problem and was looking for a solution for that problem, he found instead something else which could be good for the deaf.  However, without funding, he thought at just dismissing the idea.  Also, he had asked for a n appointment with the Cardinal for another reason.  Without knowing why, his appointment had been postponed several times until that February 11 when he had already planned other activities for the deaf.

With these “coincidences” on the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, it was decided to name the new place: Handicapped Center Lourdes.

VISION

As Christ loved the people and taught them many things, Handicapped Center Lourdes loves the various handicapped and teaches them values skills.

GOAL

We want to bring the handicapped

• the personal love of Jesus Christ
• the right to a minimum of standard of living, a caring family and an appropriate education.

SOME PROGRAMS

• Residential Care:

  To give love, food, medical care and accommodations to children who are multiple handicapped and abandoned.

• Special Education:

  To lift up the multiple handicapped children to become functional and enable them to become productive members of the society in their own limited capability.

• Physical Rehabilitation:

  To provide physical and occupational therapy services to the multiple handicapped.

• Sensitivity Activities:

  To increase awareness and empathy among parents, volunteers, and other concerned persons.

SHARING TO PROMOTE SHARING

These programs are not cheap even if they have some volunteers.  They deal with people who need special training in small groups even on a “one to one” basis.  Residential care adds another big cost.  Yet it is much cheaper to train the handicapped to be self-supporting than to keep them as a burden.  It is our goal that, after receiving your share, they will not only be self-supporting but that on their turn they will share with others.