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Today’s missionary was a lay missionary from Poland who made a name for herself in the field of Hansen’s Disease (leprosy). Her name as Wanda.
Wanda Blenska was born on October 30, 1911 in Poznan, Poland. After high school, she received her M.D. from the University of Poznan in 1934. During World War II, Wanda worked in various hospitals in Torun, Gdynia, and Gdansk. In 1946, she went to Hannover in Germany where she took courses in tropical medicine and, in 1948, did post-doctoral studies at the Institute of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene at the University of Liverpool in England,
During World War II, Dr. Blenska was a second lieutenant in the Home Army in Torun.
Wanda Blenska’s main claim to fame, however, was working at the St. Francis Hospital Buluba near Lake Victoria in Uganda from 1951 to 1994. The hospital, run by the Catholic Diocese of Jinja, is often simply called Buluba Hospital and was dedicated to treating patients with Hansen’s Disease (leprosy). Until 1983, Dr. Wanda, a lay Catholic missionary, was the physician-in-charge.
Through her work and the help of others, this hospital, originally run by Irish Franciscans, became an internationally-known treatment for Hansen’s Disease. In addition to treating patients with the disease, Dr. Blenska provided training for nurses and others to care for the patients. Because of her knowledge and dedication, she earned the nickname, “Mother of Lepers.”
In 1993, Dr. Blenska returned to her hometown of Poznan, Poland. In 2011, the Polish government awarded her the prestigious Order of Polonia Restituta for her lifelong dedication to serving humanity.
Dr. Wanda Blenska died on November 27, 2014 at the age of 103.
In February of 2020, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Poznan started the formal steps that will, hopefully, end with her canonization. She is, therefore, formally now known as Servant of God Wanda Blenska.
