Tuesday, August 27, 2002

WILMINGTON, NC – Peruvian missionary Alex Busuttil will talk about “Creating a Healthier World Through Mission and Education” at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 11, in UNC Wilmington’s Warwick Center Ballroom.

Originally from Malta, Busuttil is an ordained priest serving in Arequipa, Peru (pronounced Ahr-uh-kee-puh). In addition to his parish duties, Padre Busuttil organizes and administers childcare centers; works with a medical clinic; cares for the elderly, indigent and handicapped; and assists efforts to enhance the lives of the citizens of mountain villages near Arequipa by working on irrigation projects and the construction of roads into remote areas.

Prior to his work in Peru, Busuttil served as a missionary priest in Pakistan where he organized and administered a drug detoxification center. He also coordinated projects dealing with women’s and minority rights issues and, with Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India, worked in a prison ministry that handled the exchange of Pakistani and Indian prisoners.

Busuttil’s talk, which is sponsored by the UNCW School of Nursing and the New Hanover Health Network, holds an important message for our students and the Cape Fear region, said Dr. Virginia Adams, dean of the nursing school.

“Father Alex’s mission to improve health care complements the School of Nursing,” said Adams. “His current mission is for the Peruvian people. The School of Nursing has started to provide primary care for the citizens of southeastern North Carolina. Our outreach efforts are aimed at providing health care and education in rural communities such as Navassa and Bolton. We’re dedicated to preparing our graduates to practice in health care settings from a local to an international level.”