Abbé Ambroise Tine traveled a long way because of his cancer: the Catholic priest traveled from Senegal to Gronau to have his prostate removed at St. Antonius Hospital Gronau. A friend from Germany had recommended the hospital to him, and other friends from Europe had collected money for his operation.
Now he sits happily on his hospital bed, waiting to be discharged, and says: “Everyone works very professionally and is very kind. The atmosphere here in the hospital is making me healthy,” enthuses the 70-year-old. He clearly feels at home at St. Antonius Hospital in Gronau, which is run by the two Catholic parishes of Gronau and Epe. He has prayed with the hospital chaplain and already visited the chapel in the hospital.
Abbé Ambroise Tine speaks fluent German: after studying theology in Italy, he was a regular visitor to Germany, including the partner archdiocese of Bamberg and Solingen, which is the twin town of his hometown Thiès near the capital Dakar. He is a veteran of interfaith exchange, having served as secretary general of Caritas Senegal, among other things, and has held many positions of responsibility for the church and the country.
For many years, he has run a retreat center and promoted cultural and spiritual exchange between his homeland and Germany. In 1994, he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for his commitment, including his services to promoting German culture in Senegal.
The team at the Urology and Prostate Center Gronau at St. Antonius Hospital is grateful for the trust that Father Tine has placed in the medical and human care provided in Gronau – and is delighted about the international recognition of their work. “Father Tine was an extremely pleasant patient,” says ward manager Annett Bertelmann. “We are grateful and also a little proud that he was here with us.”
