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Thursday, December 23, 2021

Big festivities!

 

 

 

Big festivities!

During the past few days we have had two great celebrations: Saturday 18 December, here in Baoro, we celebrated the national holiday, that falls on December 1st. While on Sunday, December 19th, in Bozoum, we Carmelites celebrated the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the first missionaries in Bozoum.

But let's go in order.

Friday, December 17th I left around 5, because I had to go to Kounde, a village 38 km from Bozoum and I got there just before 8.  Here in Kounde there is a long bridge, which is very damaged. We have bought the lumber to fix it, and with the help of the Bozoum traders, we are starting it. The government has not shown any interest in helping, MINUSCA (the UN force), who we have urged several times, has also never responded, so then between the Carmelites and the people we are working hard to fix a very dangerous situation.

Saturday, December 18th was finally the time for the celebration of the national holiday of 1 December, which had been postponed several times. At 9.30 the President of Parliament (and local deputy) arrived, and the great parade began. After the military came the schools in the parade. Among these, our kindergarten (Germoglio), the nuns' school (Martyrs) and our mechanical school stood out in particular.

On Sunday, December 19th I spent it here in Baoro, to allow my brothers to go to Bozoum, where Carmelites from all over the country gathered for the end of the Jubilee of the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the first fathers here in Central Africa. At 9 a.m. a great Mass began (which ended at 12.30), in which 2 young Central Africans, Bro Jeannot and Bro. Martial, received priestly ordination (the photos of Bozoum are by Alberto Fariselli).

I conclude with my wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2022.

The passing of time, with its joys and difficulties, however, brings us every year to this sacred and beautiful moment which is Christmas, God who becomes man!

I pray for you, and with you. I ask God for the gift of joy and peace, especially for this country of ours, Central Africa.



Defilé à Baoro
Scuola Materna "Il Germoglio"
Ecole maternelle "Il Germoglio"

 

Bozoum, il 50° dei Carmelitani in Centrafrica
Bozoum, le 50è des Carmes en RCA







Una parte dei giovani carmelitani in formazione
Une partie des jeunes carmes en formation

I due sacerdoti novelli, p.Martial e p.Jeannot, insieme a p.Saverio, provinciale
Les 2 nouveaux prètres, p.Martial et p.Jeannot, avec le p.Saverio, provincial



Saturday, December 18, 2021

Time flies, sometimes too fast!

 


P.Nicola, P.Marco, p.Carlo e p.Agostino - dicembre 1971 a Bozoum
Les pères Nicola, Marco, Carlo et Augustin, - décembre 1971 à Bozoum

Time flies, sometimes too fast!

Today, December 16, we celebrated 50 years since the arrival of the first Carmelites in Central Africa. On December 16, 1971, Fr Nicola, Fr Marco, Fr Carlo and Fr Agostino arrived in Bozoum, after a journey that had brought them from Nice to Ndjamena and then to Moundou (in Chad). Here they found the Capuchin missionaries waiting for them and accompanied them to Bozoum.

50 years, 5 missions (Bozoum, Baoro, the seminary of Yolé Bouar, the novitiate of St. Elie-Bouar, and the Carmel convent in Bangui), a dozen Central African fathers, a lot of work and a lot of passion!

On Sunday, December 19th we will celebrate this anniversary in Bozoum, with the priestly ordination of 2 young people, Jeannot and Br Martial.

In this video there are some pictures of these years: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqYuAiLNidc

Here instead is the hymn composed for this occasion by the Central African confreres, and sung by our young people in formation: https://www.dropbox.com/s/07naphrvk45ken5/1%20-%20NGU%20BALE%20OKU% 20TI% 20GRACE.mp3? Dl = 0

In the meantime, let's continue. Last Friday we went to Dobere. The number of pupils in our school has grown so much that we have set up 2 large tents, a gift from UNICEF, to better accommodate the children.

On Sunday I took Marisa and Flavio (my sister and her husband) to the most distant villages. We celebrated Mass in Igwe, where the catechist introduces us to his son, born 2 days earlier. With this image in our hearts, we celebrated Christmas which is now near.

At around 12 we finished and continued to Bayanga Didi, where I can see that the nursery school is starting up. Here I stopped to repair the well pump as well.

In Yoro, the last village I visited, I met the catechist to prepare the Christmas celebrations, which I plan to celebrate there.

We returned to Baoro at 6.30 pm, after a long day, on rough roads, where meeting people can still be a joyous event!

On Monday I left for Bangui, where construction work on the new convent continues. The return was a bit longer, because, despite being on December 15th, I was stuck in Zawa for the deferred December 1st (national holiday) parade. But even in Baoro I could not enter the Mission courtyard, because rehearsals were being finalized for the parade on December 1st, which will take place here in Baoro on December 18th.

Miracles of the calendar!










In strada, dopo Yoro
En route, après Yoro

Cantiere a Bangui - Bimbo


Balembe

 

 

Saturday, December 11, 2021

Weaving dreams

 


 

Weaving dreams

Along with Marisa and Flavio (my sister and her husband), a few hundred wool needles also arrived! A few months ago Sister Biagina, who was in charge of the training of the female catechists, was worried because she did not have enough needles to teach knitting (tricot). So I asked some friends, and a small collection campaign was started. For now, enough have arrived for the women present, and the rest (along with wool and more) will arrive in a container sooner or later.

On Friday and Saturday, Father Stefano, the parish priest, led the parish's annual pilgrimage to Kouisso Baguera, a village 7 km away. Here there were moments of prayer and formation for a few hundred faithful.

On Sunday I celebrated Mass in Samba Bougoulou, with many people. Pierre (not his real name), the orphaned child I mentioned at the end of October, is fine and his family is looking after him well.

Tuesday and Wednesday I finally got to Bozoum. I had not been there since May, and it is always a joy to find the community, and the people of Bozoum.

It was nice to see the confreres, the sisters, the children and boys and girls of our schools, the teachers. Between one job or another I managed to take a trip to the market, where I met a lot of people and it was wonderful to see them all. Many asked me if we will hold the Fair, and when I responded  that we would do it at the end of January, they were ecstatic!  It is the hope that is reborn, despite everything.

The city grows despite the difficulties it faces. The day before, December 6th, they celebrated… December 1st! A minister was expected to arrive, but fear has kept many of the Bangui authorities at bay.

In Bozoum, preparations are underway for the great feast of December 19: it will be the celebration of the 50th anniversary of our arrival, as Carmelites, in Central Africa, and 2 young Central Africans (Bro Jeannot and Bro Martial) will become priests.

Both on the outward and the return journeys I stopped on the Kounde bridge, 38 km from Bozoum. The wood is badly damaged, and walking over it is a small undertaking. We are trying to rebuild it, with the support of the Carmelites, but also with the involvement of local traders and transporters.

Weave dreams!



Sr Biagina, le donne e i ferri da lana
Sr Biagina, avec les femmes et les aiguilles pour le tricot



Kouisso Baguera

Samba Bougoulou

Il ponte di Kounde
Le pont de Kounde


Bozoum




 

 

Monday, December 6, 2021

Sisters and brothers

 

 

 

Fiori di caffé
Une fleur de café
 
Sisters and brothers

Here I am, one day late, with this week's information.

On Sunday November 28th I celebrated Mass in Bawi, a village on the road to Bangui, where I had the joy of baptizing four small children.

On Monday I went down to Bangui again, together with Fr Davide Sollami (deputy procurator of the Missions). We left at 5, and at 10 we re-entered Bangui, despite the 400 km we had to travel, 80 of which were bad roads.

We immediately visited the construction site of the new convent, whose works have been progressing very well.

In the afternoon I went down to the airport, where I had the immense joy of welcoming Marisa and Flavio: my sister and her husband. They'll be here for a couple of months (and… I've already put them to work!).

It is a great gift, to welcome and share the missionary life with friends, and even more to be able to do it with my sister. We were born a little over a year apart, and then we grew up together, until I left for seminary but out bond remains.

Welcoming her and Flavio is like having my entire family here. Also, because when they come the brings the blessings, affection, friendship, and also many necessary things, both from them as well as from my brother Giovanni, his wife and their children.

Giovanni, the architect who designed the new convent in Bangui, also arrived with them. The work is progressing quickly, and his visit allows us to take stock of the situation and discuss the various changes to be made, and the details to be specified.

We spent a lot of time on the construction site, to verify, measure and discuss, together with the managers of the construction company.

Wednesday, December 1st is the anniversary of the proclamation of the Central African Republic, which took place in 1958, preceding Independence by 2 years. It is a very heartfelt party, characterized by moments of prayer, celebration and the fashion show (the parade), where soldiers, state employees, schools, sports clubs etc. parade.

The party is on December 1st, but for some years it has been diluted over several days, and each city has to move the celebration to the dates that the authorities like: therefore, it is December 1st in Bangui, but it will be 3rd in Bossemptele, the 4 or 5 in Bouar, December 11 in Baoro. But it is always the feast of December 1st!

I stopped for a long time in Bangui, and only left this morning, Friday.

Now we are here in Baoro, together with Marisa and Flavio and the community, and we move forward.


Bawi



Il cantiere del nuovo convento di Bangui
Le chaniter du nouveau couvent de Bangui



1èr décembre

Caffé: frutti e fiori
Café: fruits et fleurs

Marisa, Flavio e Giovanni