Mercy Now
Song by Mary Gauthier, Covered by Long Haul Paul
Hello friends,
I will continue to post these messages from my violin player Michele Gazich, who lives in the red zone of the Coronavirus in Northern Italy. His stories are factual, heart wrenching, and important, as many of us live in countries that are but two weeks behind Italy in this pandemic. Please follow Michele for updates.
I beg of you, take heed, stay in, show mercy.
Mary
From Michele Gazich
MARCH 25, 2020
TO MY AMERICAN FRIENDS,
Corona Virus. Our figures today in Italy: 743 dead in a day, 6820 total deaths, infected 69,176 (including dead and recovered) new infected in a day: 5.249.
So, the situation is still difficult, still growing, but it seems to slow down a little bit. It’s one month that schools are closed, but it was only two weeks ago that our state decided more strict rules for us about isolation and only few days that everything is closed beside supermarkets and few other necessary activities to produce and distribute food and essential goods.
The major problems are in the hospitals. We have a great healthcare here in Italy, but it’s days that the hospitals are full. The intensive care hospital wards are full and more than full…
My story today is the story of a priest from a village in my region, Lombardia, the one with the highest number of dead people and of people in intensive care. His name is Giuseppe Berardelli, 72 years old. His parish was in Casnigo, a village not far from Bergamo.
He was in hospital, infected by the virus. He was in intensive care. He died, because he decided to leave the ventilator to a younger person. He was a christian, he became a Christ.
Love,
Michele