Zimbabwe’s Mutemwa Leprosy Care Centre is home to 34 patients living with an array of deadly diseases, such as AIDS, as well as mental and physical disabilities. The center is supported by the John Bradburne Memorial Society, founded in memory of the missionary from the United Kingdom.

In addition to a clinic staffed around the clock with nurses and professionals, the center, in Mutoko, Mashonaland East, located in the eastern province of Zimbabwe, has single rooms scattered throughout its property. Patients without disabilities reside in the center’s adjacent homes with their families.

Bradburne, a lay member of the Third Order of Saint Francis, spent many years traveling and searching until he finally discovered where God wanted him to be — living alongside leprosy patients in Mutemwa, Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe), a place he assisted in transforming into a peaceful, joyful and loving community.

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Not long after arriving in the country, Bradburne revealed to a priest his three wishes: to be buried in the habit of St. Francis, to die a martyr and to help leprosy victims.

He was first brought to the Mutemwa Leprosy Settlement, located about 90 miles (143 kilometers) northwest of Harare, by the Jesuit missionaries. He became its warden after arriving at Mutemwa in 1969. For 10 years, he helped those afflicted with leprosy by feeding, tending to and washing those in need, keeping watch over them during their illnesses and burying them when they died.

Leprosy, an illness that dates back to ancient times, is a chronic infectious disease caused by a type of bacteria called mycobacterium leprae. The disease predominantly affects the skin and peripheral nerves. Left untreated, the disease may cause progressive and permanent disabilities.

“His unwavering devotion to providing the residents with loving care ultimately led to a falling out with the management committee,” said Runesu Maguraushe, a theologian.

He said Bradburne was later fired because he refused to lower the patients’ already meager nutrition and refused to place dehumanizing number tags around their necks.

“Then, he resided outside the leprosy compound in a prefabricated tin shack without running water or sanitary facilities. He then carried on doing everything in his power to assist the leprosy sufferers,” he added.

In 1979, during a civil war, Bradburne was abducted and killed. After his death, the center was given to the Catholic Church to run. The Franciscan friars were called by the church to intervene and oversee the community's spiritual well-being.

Since then, the community's mental and spiritual health have been given upmost importance in tandem with medical care. As a result, the center has become a beacon of hope to those condemned by the society due to their ailments.

The community at Mutemwa depends entirely on the kind donations made by pilgrims and the assistance it receives from funders to sustain its mission and necessities such as medicine, food and clothing.

Leprosy is once again becoming more prevalent in Zimbabwe. If caught early, the disease is completely treatable. Every patient at the center receives individualized treatment and a separate living space. The settlement has a managerial group of Franciscans with trained careers and nurses also onsite.

Globally, there are still 250,000 new cases each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and countries with weak health care systems are most vulnerable.

In Zimbabwe, a country burdened by extreme poverty and a crumbling health sector, concerns have started to grow that leprosy, which spreads via respiratory droplets, could be making a return.

Every year, thousands of committed pilgrims — some 2,000 in all — make the trek on Sept. 5, the day Bradburne was murdered, to spend time at Mutemwa and ascend Mount Chigona. The place is where Bradburne spent time caring for leprosy patients.

As the pilgrimages has continued over the years, a call was slowly heard for the Vatican to recognize Bradburne in an official way. Bradburne's cause for beatification is now well on its way. The Vatican has officially decreed to start the procedure that would lead to his canonization as a saint.

Based on its shared Franciscan charism “Well4Africa,” a decision was made in 2021 to provide funding for the water project at the Mutemwa Leprosy Care Centre and to guarantee a consistent supply of clean water to the local community.

“Zimbabwe experiences harsher summers and more water problems,” said Tariro Hudini, a community member.

The entire Mutemwa community depends on this reliable and permanent supply of fresh water. The borehole project helps 34 patients, 17 impoverished individuals, four Franciscan friars and 24 staff members and their families.

Eremenciana Chinyama, who serves as presidency councillor of the Secular Franciscan Order, said the patients and the surrounding community at Mutemwa are guaranteed nutritious meals due to the water.

“Employees who had been tasked for a long time with getting water to feed and tend to the patients may now concentrate on making sure the people under their care receive high-quality treatment,” she said. “In a place like Zimbabwe where water can be scarce, particularly during the summer, having a dependable source of water from the borehole is vital.”

Father Tawanda Chirigo, who serves as national spiritual assistant, visited Mutemwa for a final evaluation of the project.

"We can only hope that the project's outcome will please our father, St. Francis of Assisi, who lovingly cared for lepers, and our brother John Bradburne, who loved Mutemwa so much," he said.

Calvin Manika is an award-winning international journalist based in Zimbabwe.