In over just the past 15 years she claims to have visited 219 countries in all corners and continents of the world. You can call it a journey of faith for Sister Ruth Augustus who travels with not much other than a passport, a plane ticket, and a statue of Mary and baby Jesus. Yes for Sister Ruth the most important piece of carry-on luggage is the one-foot ceramic statue. The 64-year-old Franciscan Sister says her guiding force is the Holy Spirit which landed her in Belize three days ago and just in time for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Rally held over the weekend. Keith Swift caught up with sister Ruth this morning and she shared her message.
Sister Ruth Augustus,
“I’ve been in 219 countries now and this is one of the friendliest countries in the world and its one of the most religious countries.”
KS: Sister you are going around to all these countries with this statue, don’t people ever ask you if you are crazy?
Sister Ruth Augustus,
“Well in countries which don’t believe in God I have people come up and swear at me Keith. I can’t tell you what they say because I don’t want to shock you or your viewers but no one swears at me here. They are all very polite and very respectable. In some countries where they want to get drunk all day long and look at dirty magazines all the time and they molest little children, they would swear at me and use filthy words. But I pray for them. Jesus died for them and he loves them. I just pray they will stop looking at filthy magazines and molesting little children. It is very disgusting and filthy and horrible. It’s disgusting.”
Sister Ruth is from London and is heading next to Salvador. If you wondering who pays for her travel, it is funded by her deceased parents' estate.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by Alfonso Noble
Edited for the internet by Keith Swift