Baptisms and kilometers

Baptisms and kilometers

Sunday August 21st we experienced a special moment: 9 children were baptized! They were 3 months of age and 3 years old. During this Year of Mercy they received the grace to become sons of God! While baptizing them, I think about the grace we received by Baptism! How short we are in appreciating the gift!

Monday morning at 5.00 am I resume the work of the church glasses ending up at about 10.00 am, just in time to get ready to leave towards Bangui where I arrive, together with my Italian friends, around 7.00 pm.  Tuesday I have enough time for a few meetings and visits. Then I take all my friends to the airport because they are going back to Italy, along with Fr.Enrico Redaelli who is going back for a period of well-deserved time of rest.

As they leave, arrives with the same flight Fr. Maurice Maikane, a Carmelite priest, born in Bozoum. He is back after three years spent in Rome to deepen his studies in youth ministry.

With him I leave Bangui on Wednesday morning around 6:30 am arriving at noon in Baoro his new community. In the afternoon I travel again: direction Bouar. The next morning I’m once more on the road back to Bozoum.

I covered a long distance with lots of kilometers (over 1,100 Km).  Life is beautiful that way too!

Colours in the making

Colours in the making

Here I’m to you a bit late. These days we’re working hard building up the new windows for the church. Few months ago I asked a confrere of Arenzano, Fr. Marco Cabula, for some drawings. Then Providence came on our side in such a way that we might buy the glasses and, after some ups and downs, we received them thanks to our Administration in Arenzano. At the end of last week we started preparing the job, and on Tuesday we began to create all 24 windows wide 2 x 1.40 meters. The new windows will be placed on the new wallsWe are almost done, and I hope that on Monday we will complete the job. ...

Meanwhile, during this week, which began with the Solemnity of the Assumption, the Orphans Centre was opened for several days of games and activities.
And despite the rain, everyone goes forward. And the windows too will sing the glory of God and His beauty! of the church.

The group of Cassina Amata (Pina, Lorena, Cinzia and Silvio, Mary and Eugenio) helped me, along with some young volunteers of the Parish. While I was cutting glass tiles (2 cm thick), the others were setting the parts and began to cover them with scotch tape in order to prevent them from getting dirty when pouring the concrete. We are almost done, and I hope that on Monday the artistic work will be completed.

Meanwhile, during this week, which began with the Solemnity of the Assumption, the Orphans Centre did stay opened for several days of games and activities.

Despite the rain, everyone goes forward. And the windows too will sing God’s glory and beauty!

Some come, some go

 

dal parrucchiere
chez le coiffeur

Some come, some go

At Bozoum there is always a little movement. This August there are also friends who dedicate precious time of their holidays to come here to serve in our Mission. Last Saturday Fr. Norberto came back, after a few months in Italy, and with him came Pina and Lorena.

On Monday I’m on the roads again, driving towards Bangui to give a warm welcome to two couples (Silvio and Cinzia, Eugenio and Mary). Both couples will be here Tuesday night. On Wednesday I return together with the guests to Bozoum, and they immediately begin to get busy. The all six volunteers have met a few years ago while planning together the project of Orphans Center "Arc en Ciel" (Rainbow) based in Bozoum. Since then they continue to support the project along with other friends, especially with the parish community of Cassina Amata (Milan).

Eugenio is the architect who planned the church extension works. It’s up to him now the task of taking the measures, studying the solution in order to finish the roof ending also the all work. Silvio as for now gives me a hand in the preparation of the church windows: more than 70 square meters of windows to draw, prepare and assemble.

There are also the different planning and reorganization works. On top of them the preparation of the next week commitment with the summer reopening of the Center "Arc en Ciel". Next week the children and the animators will come together for a bit of activities, games and laughter ...

 

architetto al lavoro

Le suore in festa
nos soeurs en fete

foto di famiglia
photo de famille

Youth

Youth

Central Africa Republic is a young Country and its population is young too. Think of this: over half of the population is under 18 years of age! It is therefore with a lot of attention that we followed the World Youth Day in Krakow. We invited all our youth during the Youth World Days, girls and boys, and with them we gave ourselves a few moments of reflection on Mercy: the love with which we love God the Father in His Son, the same Love that moves us to love and to be Mercy towards others.

We also managed to show live some moments of Cracow’s World Youth Day, thanks to the French television KTO. So we could see the Pope's arrival, the meetings with the youth, the Via Crucis, the vigil on Saturday evening and the great Sunday morning Mass. Our kids were following very carefully, because there was a small delegation from the Central Africa Republic (about twenty people), but mainly because there was a young guy of Bozoum, Luther Yapelendji, who is also the leader of the altar servers! (Photo Gosia Kiedrowska)

The work of the Church continues: we began to cover the sacristy and part of the new area.

Wednesday afternoon I went to Bouar. Being in the rainy season, this time I had to change my program, and instead of the direct route (100 km) I have to drive through Bossemptele-Baoro (250 km). On Thursday I met the brothers who work in Cameroon together with the other Carmelites working in Central Africa committed in training of our youth. The training work is ensured by the Seminary of Yolé (guys from the end of elementary to high school), the convent of St.Elie (novitiate), from the Carmel of Bangui (Philosophy student) and by those of Yaounde in Cameroon (Theology).    It is a long and difficult task that the Lord blesses: we have already some Central African friars and priests who work to grow the Church and the Carmel in Central Africa Republic. On Friday morning I went back, driving this time through on the direct road ... which in some places has become a river!

Come on, we’re young too, right?

il tetto della nuova sacrestia
la toiture de la sacrsite nouvelle