Three Days in the Belly of the Whale- Christ paid the ransom.

Three days in the belly of the whale:
   I had the pleasure of meeting three gentlemen this week.  Two are priests.  One man is an Indian priest ministering in Nigeria named Father Mathew.  The other priest, named Father Peter, is a Nigerian priest.  Both priests took their vows with the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary founded by Saint Gaetano Errico. They are visiting for a short time at the Villa Pieta, a Missionary of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary home in Linwood, New Jersey.  Our Lady of Sorrows in Linwood is also staffed by priests of the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Local community members may know of Father Leonard Carrieri (world renowned artist) who ministered at Our Lady of Sorrows and the Villa Pieta until his death in June 2009.   Father Peter DiTomasso, the Catholic chaplain at Shore Medical Center, is also a priest of the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
The third gentleman is a friend of  Father Matthew’s, a lay person.  He is visiting from his home in India.  Jason Matthew is an engineer who helps the Missionaries bring solar technology to the people in Nigeria. He shared some stories from India about his work and also his upcoming nuptials.  He frequently visits America and is familiar with New York and San Francisco.
Upon meeting priests who work in Nigeria, one is driven to ask the question, is it safe where you minister?  Both priests reside in an area of Nigeria which thus far has not experienced the extreme acts of terrorism of which we hear.  However, there is tension and implied threats that may be a result of “copy cat “crimes
But, that does not mean that their missionary work has not been without  real time danger.