In West Bank home for elderly, personal care in Christian atmosphere

Published: 2008-02-21

TAYBEH, West Bank (CNS) -- Father Dominic Veglio cuts a romantic figure as he walks along the windswept hill in his long black coat and black hat, a roughly hewn walking stick in his gnarled hand and two dogs tumbling by his side. At 94 the former parish priest, an Italian who served in various parishes throughout the West Bank, said he "comes to visit" Beit Afram, a home for the elderly and handicapped, which can be seen behind him. But in reality he has been living in the three-story home for eight months. A lifelong animal lover, he was upset and nervous when he arrived without his menagerie of pets, said Rimon Ady, administrator of the home. The staff, which includes three Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows, quickly realized the problem and brought him the two dogs. "He got much better then," said Ady, the heart behind the success of the home. "He was able to relax and adapt better to the home. He got better and better." Ady is able to rattle off information about all 16 of Beit Afram's residents and speaks affectionately with them as he would with his own elderly relatives.

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