Honoring Founding Partner Dr. Enrique Via-Reque
In early 1999, the Catholic Diocese of Joliet, Illinois, sponsored a talk by Dr. Juan Lorenzo Hinojosa, a Bolivian-American theologian. A Bolivian-American anesthesiologist named Dr. Enrique Via-Reque attended the talk, and the two men chatted afterward about their common roots. Enrique shared that he had been leading medical mission teams from the Diocese of Joliet to serve Bolivians in the city of Sucre. As Juan Lorenzo listened to his new friend describe this work, he began to wonder, “If the small Joliet Diocese can sponsor this kind of outreach, why can’t the huge Archdiocese of Chicago do the same?” Then and there, he asked Enrique if he would be willing to help him get something similar started. With great generosity, Enrique said “Yes, I’d be happy to do that.”
Even while Solidarity Bridge was just a hopeful idea, Enrique’s total openness to launching a Chicago program was critical. Later that same year, he became a co-leader of the mission trips of “The Chicago-Bolivia Medical Mission Partnership,” as the initiative was initially known. The organization became an independent non-profit in 2002, with Enrique assuming the role of Medical Director of the re-named Solidarity Bridge. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors ever since.
Dr. Via-Reque’s wholehearted involvement and expertise helped make it possible for Solidarity Bridge to steadily expand its outreach. Now, as we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we are thrilled to have sent over one hundred medical and surgical teams to Bolivia and Paraguay, 23 of which included Enrique. His deep knowledge of the medical cultures of both Bolivia and the U.S. was a crucial element in the development of the sustainable model that makes our work mutually beneficial to all those involved.
As an anesthesiologist, Enrique was an especially fundamental leader as Solidarity Bridge honed its focus on surgical care. As more world-class surgeons, physicians, nurses, and medical technicians joined the Solidarity Bridge mission effort, Enrique’s embodiment of gentle wisdom shepherded them into our teams and helped them embrace our philosophy of collaboration and mutuality.
When we use our gifts and resources to benefit our vulnerable sisters and brothers, we are walking the path that Dr. Via-Reque helped pave from the start of Solidarity Bridge. In the closing lines from our video, The Heart and Soul of Solidarity, Enrique wisely encapsulates our philosophy:
“I firmly believe that is what life is about: a journey toward God. The world is unfinished, and the workers are few. And that’s what we are called to.”
Thank you, Dr. Enrique Via-Reque for your ongoing guidance and inspiration!
As we celebrate the many accomplishments of our past 25 years, we also look ahead to the future. We have launched a $2.5M fundraising campaign to invest in serving more patients, training more physicians, and equipping more hospitals in Bolivia and Paraguay.
You can join us today! Consider making a gift dedicated to Dr. Via-Reque and help us reach our campaign goal.