The Santa Rosa mystery illness
As the mysterious illness continues to plague the Santa Rosa Mission community of Moruka, the residents, wanting to take a proactive approach to dealing with it, say that they are dealing with “a complicated situation.”

Since the medically undiagnosed ailment resurfaced in February, after it first struck three years ago, over 67 victims, between the ages of 13 and 18, have been continually afflicted.

Tests done by health personnel were unsuccessful in ascertaining the cause, with no obvious genetic or other links, nor long-term physical consequences.

However, a diagnosis by U.S based psychologist offered the view that the illness was a case of mass hysteria or mass contagion.

The residents however, wanting to step away from having to choose whether the illness is psychological or spiritual, have settled on acknowledging that while there are psychological effects, the illness is one that delves in the paranormal realm.

The headteacher, Mr. Glynn De La Cruz, of the Santa Rosa Secondary School, reiterated that the issue is a complicated one.

“It is complicated and when assistance is needed is it needed simultaneously, as when the attacks occur several girls are stricken at once. This is strange; because if it is psychological how do you explain that people, very far apart, are affected at the same time,” the headteacher said.

Mass hysteria or mass contagion is described as the spread of a behaviour pattern, attitude, or emotion from person to person or group to group, through suggestion, propaganda, rumor, or imitation. It is a harmful, corrupting influence and has the tendency to spread, as of a doctrine, influence, or emotional state.

De La Cruz added that as it relates to dealing with the issue, the most common approach is to pray with those affected.

A religious leader assisting some families with the illness, Pastor Winston Connelly, of the Faith Deliverance Pentecostal Church, pointed out that he supports the residents’ acknowledgement that though the illness has psychological effects, it is one that is connected with diabolical forces.

He said, “It is no longer about religion but about reality and that is what Christianity is.”

To this end, the suitable remedy suggested was prayer in a deliverance ministry to get rid of the “evil spirits affecting the girls”, a result of, what is believed to be, persons dabbling with black magic.

“Why the prayer might not have worked is simply that unless the person is able to believe, it will not be as effective,” Connelly said.

He affirmed that as a community, the people must deal with the problem if it is to come to an end.

Unfortunately, this would only apply to the non-Catholics, as those of the Catholic faith are bound by their faith to seek assistance from within the Catholic denomination.

In an invited comment, the community’s Catholic priest, Father Oscar Barraza, said Catholics should and have to remain true to their faith as it is a commitment that was made by them.

The Catholic Church maintains that the illness is psychological and will deal with it in a responsible manner until they can justify other alternatives.

However, Barraza acknowledged that if the illness is diabolical, he and the Church would resort to the other alternative, that is, exorcism.

Exorcism is mainly thought of as the rite of driving out the devil and his demons from possessed persons.

It is mainly performed in incidents of demonic possession.

A general assumption is that only the Roman Catholic Church practices the rite of exorcism, but some Protestant denominations, such as Pentecostals and other charismatic groups, practice it as well.