The Augustinian Recollect José Antonio Román (Pamplona, Navarra, Spain, 1966) has gone from a life of full health and sport to struggling with an infection that has completely altered his personal, spiritual and ministerial life. This is his testimony.
How do you live the disease from the point of faith?
On March 19, 2021, the feast of our patron Saint Joseph, he was admitted to the ICU of the Miguel Servet Hospital in Zaragoza. I soon went into a “coma” and after the pertinent examination by the medical team, the diagnosis was conclusive: presence of bacteria in the blood; that is, generalized sepsis; In addition, they noted the almost complete disappearance of platelets.
Under these circumstances, my life expectancy was reduced to barely two hours. However, to the surprise of the doctors, I began to react positively. After eighteen days in a coma and two more weeks in the ICU, I was transferred to one of the floors of the hospital.
Time passed slowly; a month, another month, another… and another. I had four surgeries. I couldn’t move and, due to the tracheostomy, I couldn’t speak.
In these circumstances of pain, doubts and uncertainty, there were moments where I perceived that my faith was clouded. But, the prayers of many people who prayed for me, and perhaps also my own personal prayer, gave me the strength to always keep, during all this time, the flag of trust in God, hoisted.
Do you feel supported, cared for, loved by your community?
In this long period of my illness and convalescence, one of the things that I have valued and appreciated the most has been, without a doubt, the care and attention of all the members of my Augustinian Recollect community of the Romareda College and, also, of the brothers of the neighboring community, which is served by the Parish of Saint Monica.
During the most difficult moments of my stay at the hospital, when I was barely mobile, one or the other was there to help me with meals, with any other need I might have or simply to keep me company. Now, convalescing, I also perceive that care and attention from everyone.
What do you expect from your community and from the friars in general?
It is true that in our daily work we have different ways of understanding religious life and pastoral activity. However, in the face of this society, which is too often exclusive and individualistic, we have to bet on dialogue, listening and shared work in our personal relationships.
We are facing a real challenge, trying to make the Augustinian Recollect communities a meeting place where a healthy and creative joy shines that helps us forget a little about ourselves and think about the needs of others.
And let’s never forget that life is that, accepting the shadows and burying the fears in order to continue the journey and pursue our dreams.
What are you missing in your community? What would you ask?
In the previous answers I have related my deep gratitude to all the members of the community for the magnificent treatment received and for this reason it seems almost irreverent to ask them for anything more.
However, I think that we can continue to grow in our personal relationships and also in our interest and concern for each other. My community, for example, has the educational apostolate as its main activity.
I remember the lyrics of a song dedicated to students and teachers: each one is what they dream of, each one dreams a little. Hopefully, with the confidence of knowing that the risen Jesus accompanies us on the path of life, we can dream of more generous, more understanding and more fraternal communities.
