INDIAN LAND—Deacon Bob Donofrio, known as “Deacon Doc”, recently returned to Our Lady of Grace Church from a mission trip to Central America.
It is a pilgrimage that began nine years ago, when Deacon Doc retired from his work as an orthopedic surgeon and moved to South Carolina to be near his grandchildren. When he tired of golf and rest, an internet search led to an informational meeting at a local church for Catholic Charities, where he met Deacon Ed Peitler, who recruited him to go to Guatemala. Since then, Deacon Doc has made 16 mission trips in nine years.
The Diocese of Charleston’s International Ministries tends to the medical needs of the Mayans in mountain villages twice a year. Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone approved funds to provide medicine to the patients there at no cost. With his support, Deacon Doc and Deacon Gabe were able to bolster their weeklong trip to Guatemala with an additional two-day trip to San Salvador, with the help of the Sisters of Bethany.
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