The "Conférence": large gathering of villages in Bayanga Didi

 

 

 

 

 

The "Conférence": large gathering of villages in Bayanga Didi

The Christian communities of the villages are, in general, very poor (like the other villages!). One of the concerns of the missionaries is to help the small village churches to manage themselves, and to have a minimum of means that allow them to live, to help the poor, and to support the catechist who guides them.

It is very difficult, especially in these areas where little money circulates, and where services (school, health care) are non-existent and/or very expensive.

Christians invented a formula of self-financing, which combined useful training with and an enjoyable activity (being together and celebrating).

On Thursday, April 21st I was able to leave Bangui, a bit injured due to a fall on the construction site… I arrived in Baoro in the evening, and I had some time to prepare to leave for Bayanga Didi the following day.

Friday morning I left around 5.30. There was, oddly enough, some fog, and no traffic (0 trucks, 0 cars, 0 motorcycles and 1 monkey!).

I arrived in Bayanga Didi around 9, after 80 km of road. I found everything ready: Christians from 10 villages more or less close to one another (between 5 and 30 km) arrived the day before, on foot. There were many: over 300, plus the Bayanga Didi community. The participants brought a small participation, which will cover part of the expenses for food and various services (hygiene, soap, amplification).

Let's get started right away! The morning was occupied by the presentation of the various villages, supported by the choral (unleashed!). At noon there was a break for lunch, prepared by the village (who bought a cow for the occasion. Slaughtered in the evening, the meat was in the room next to mine, and with the passing of the hours the smell progressively got stronger!).

In the afternoon we resumed with a catechesis on confession, followed by Mass. All outside the chapel, which was insufficient to accommodate everyone.

Saturday morning, after Mass was celebrated at 6:30, followed by coffee, we tackled the main theme: mabe na kusala (faith and work). It was interesting that it was the requested topic, and the interest was very high: how does faith affect my life?

In the afternoon a short rain cooled the air, and prepared us for the most awaited moment: the dance of offerings (dodo ti dimes). Each participant, village by village, danced and sang, bringing their own offering. The most generous village (the one that offers the most) will receive all the offers! Some villages manage to offer around 30 euros, but the village of Bayanga Didi won, offering almost 150 euros: these are large amounts, donated with joy and pride.

The total of the offers amounted to about 500 euros: this amount will be used by the community of Bayanga Didi for the needs of the church: sound systems, music, or other needs within.  The total amount and the winner remain secret, until the next day. On Sunday, after a couple of hours dedicated to confessions, we celebrated Mass and I administered Baptism to 4 small children.

In the end, the winning village was announced, Bayanga Didi, and they will be the ones who will organize the next "Conférence": Sinaforo.

Even though I was still sore, I was happy, and in the afternoon I resumed the way back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Un po' di pioggia, giusto per togliere la polvere
Un petit peu de pluie, juste pour enlever la poussière

 

Una batteria, una stampantina, e 2 giovani intraprendenti stampano sul posto le foto!
Une batterie, une petite imprimante, et 2 jeunes entreprenants impriment sur place les photos!

Momento di riflessione sul tema della giornata
Moment de réflexion sur le thème de la journée

 

 

 

La danza delle offerte (dodo ti dimes)
La dans des offrandes (dodo ti dimes)

 

Il conteggio e la verifica delle offerte di ogni villaggio
Le calcul et la vérification des offrandes de chaque village

 

 

 

Easter!

 

 

 

Easter!

Holy Week is a very intense time. Days full of Mystery, and of Love, which help to fulfill us with the extraordinary event of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus.

This year I celebrated the Triduum in the villages, and it was a very nice experience. For some, it was the first time they had attended the Triduum liturgies and we had many participate. 
Holy Thursday, Eucharist and Priesthood Day, I celebrated the service in Bawi, 35 km from Baoro. During the Mass we gave the washing of the feet to 12 people, in memory of the simple and very strong gesture of Jesus, during the Last Supper.

Good Friday I was in Barka Bongo, 42 km. We celebrated the passion and death of Jesus on the Cross: the celebration is marked by pain and silence, but also by amazement because, as John the Evangelist said, "Jesus, having loved his own, loved them to the end".

Holy Saturday, is the day of great silence.

In the afternoon I went to Dobere, 55 km away. We prepared for the Easter Vigil together, which began at 6.30 pm and  we opened with the blessing of the fire and the lighting of the Paschal Candle.

At the moment of the Glory, the people, numerous, broke out into song and joy for the Risen Lord.

On Easter day I celebrated Mass in Bawi, and here too it was a great celebration!

Monday I returned to Bangui. The road repair work is still very poor. The second half of the road, between Bossembele and Yalokè, being completed by the ONM, a state-owned firm, always under the control (?) of the Lege Engineering studio. In this half, there is a little more work: in some parts of the road the old tar is removed, but the new one consists of a very thin layer of liquid tar, covered with some gravel. And… the works should finish by May 14 (in less than a month) yet only a small part will be completed.

Courage!

 

 

 

Bawi - Giovedì Santo
Bawi, le jeudi saint

Mario

Barka Bongo - Venerdì Santo
Barka Bongo, le Vendredi Saint

Mbormo

Veglia Pasquale a Dobere
La veille de Paques à Dobere

Lavori (???) in corso
Attention... travaux!

 

 

 

On the way to Easter

 

 

 

 

 

On the way to Easter

Here we are in Holy Week: a time of grace and a time above all of the "great love of God for us" (Paul to the Ephesians, 2,4). Too much love!

Last Saturday I went to Bayanga Didi, a village 80km south of Baoro. I spent the evening with the catechist and the community.

Sunday morning I celebrated confessions, and around 10 we found ourselves in the center of the village. Here we blessed the branches and palm trees (some even intertwined!).  We left in a procession towards the church. It was a moving moment, which took us back to 2000 years ago, when the inhabitants of Jerusalem acclaimed Jesus, just a few days before condemning him to death!

We entered the church, where the women  spread colored fabrics on the floor, just like 2000 years ago!

Today is Holy Thursday. Soon I will leave for Bawi, where I will celebrate the Mass commemorating the Last Supper, with Jesus washing the feet of the Apostles, before instituting the Eucharist, the Sacrament of His Presence, for love.

Tomorrow, Good Friday: memory of the Man, of Jesus, who offered himself in sacrifice on the Cross, for love.

Holy Saturday is the day of silence: everything seems suspended, and during the night creation bursts into joy because he is risen.

Last year I participated in the Easter Vigil in my parish of Cuneo (Immaculate Heart). Don Carlo gave a beautiful homily (https://youtu.be/Z2gE422Vfm8), in which he asked himself and asked us this question: "Why is he risen?". Many proposals, but the true answer is only one: he has risen because he is loved! Because God recognized himself in that man whom he loved to the last drop of his blood"!

 

Happy Easter!

Bayanga Didi, domenica delle Palme
Le dimanche des Rameaux à Byanga Didi

 

Bangui - Baoro - Bangui

 

 

 

Bangui - Baoro - Bangui

In recent weeks, the work on the construction site of the new Bangui convent has kept me very busy.

It is a demanding and ambitious project: a two-storey building, built with stabilized earth bricks, made here in Central Africa with special presses from South Africa. A novelty in the country!

These days we welcomed Giovanni Grossi Bianchi, the architect who came up with, along with the community, the building and who facilitates its work.

Saturday 2 April, after 3 days of work and meetings with the construction company on the site, I took him to Baoro for a short break. On Sunday we went together to Samba Bougoulou, where I celebrated Mass.

On Monday we returned to Bangui. It was 400 km of theoretically paved road.  I say theoretically, because in certain points (the first 150 km starting from Baoro) there were some rare paved sections of asphalt in the midst of holes ...

The crowning glory is that in recent weeks two different companies started what should be a repair job. In reality, especially the part between Bossemptele and Baoro (financed by the World Bank) is very bad. The work is carried out by a company, "SEMENCE", who work with various materials: they dig holes, fill them with a mixture of earth and gravel (!), they then spread a very thin layer of liquid tar, and cover it with gravel. The work, in addition to being badly done, is also dangerous, because the edges of the road (where there is often a difference of 15 cm between the earth and the edge of the old asphalt) are filled in the same way.  I also don't think the funding received from the World Bank is insufficient to do quality work ...

I stayed in Bangui until Wednesday, always following the progress of the work being done. I returned to Baoro on Wednesday morning, so I could devote myself to the many activities of the Mission.

Samba Bougoulou

 

Sul cantiere
Au Chantier

Giovanni Grossi Bianchi e Marco Olivero

Il fiume Mpoko a Bangui

Suor Biagina

 

 

Via Crucis - Way of the cross

 

 

Mario Mazzali e Marco al lavoro
Mario Mazzali au travail avec Marco

 

With the civil war that broke out in 2013, it forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee. Many have left their homes and villages for other areas in Central Africa (internal refugees) and many have fled the country. 

As of today, out of a population of about 5 million inhabitants, there are 632,000 internal refugees, and 738,000 abroad: a total of 1,370,000 people (more than 27.4% of the population). 

In this period of Lent, among other things, there is the celebration of the Via Crucis: a prayer that follows in the footsteps of the passion of Jesus. In Central Africa it is a very heartfelt prayer said among the people. 

 But there are many people who experience suffering on their skin, and every day carry their own Via Crucis.

 

 Cardinal Nzapalainga, the archbishop of Bangui, arrived in Baoro on Monday, March 28th. A strong personality, who clearly stands out in the country. He came to meet the various refugees, inside and outside Central Africa. 

In the afternoon we went to meet the Muslim community who, after having lived for 5 or 6 years in the refugee camps in Cameroon, returned to the country and chose to live in Baoro. There are over 2,000 people, with many children. It was a nice meeting, which allowed the people to be able to express their concerns and their desires. 

On Wednesday I went down to Bangui, for the arrival of Giovanni Grossi Bianchi, the architect who designed the new Carmel Convent. We are working hard these days, to take stock of the situation and evaluate the progress of the work. 

And because of this work and the meetings with the construction company… I'm a bit late with delivering the blog this week!

Via Crucis

Incontro del Cardinal Nzapalainga con la comunità musulmana dei rifugiati ritornati
Rencontre du Cardinal Nzapalainga avec la communauté musulmane des refugiés retournés

Bangui - il nuovo convento
Bangui - le nouveau couvent