Christmas.2 and Happy New Year!

Christmas.2,  and Happy New Year!

Christmas has arrived! Thank God! It had been in the air for a while now!

Friday afternoon, December 21^st, there was a small party in the orphan Center "Arc en Ciel". Around a small crib all the children sang, played and even received some small gifts (a drink, peanuts, cookies, and a bar of soap). They were very happy with the time they spent together and the presents! 

Sunday the 23^rd we had a surprise visit from our bishop, who celebrated the 8:30 Mass.  He invited us all to a Christmas full of the presence of God, and the memory of those who suffer in Central Africa, but also in our neighborhoods.

Monday evening, Christmas Eve, we celebrated the great Midnight Mass ... at 7.00 pm (a bit for safety reasons, a bit for the cold, and a little bit because this is the local tradition). There were a lot of people, as well as great participation. It is always exciting to hear the assembly "explode" at the moment of Gloria, but also to see the attention of adults and children to what we are celebrating and living.

On Christmas day, Tuesday morning, we met for the great Solemn Mass at 8.30. There were many children, many of them with toys in hand: dolls, helicopters, cars, whistles and trumpets... Today, they are the center of attention!

In a few days we will close the year 2018. A beautiful year, because it was a gift from God, even if it had some trials and tribulations. I wish you all a peaceful 2019, again because it is a gift from God! By placing ourselves in His hands, every pain and suffering will not be wasted, but He will take them, along with us, because joys and difficulties become both part of the great plan of Love that God has for each of us and for all humanity!

Festa di Natale al centro orfani Arc en ciel
Fete de Noel au Centre des Orphelins Arc en Ciel

P.Matteo

Messa di Natale
Messe de Noel

Un piccione verde
un pigeon

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Very soon it will be Christmas! As often happens, Christmas arrives very quickly, too quickly in fact! This year we have resumed the tradition of the Novena. Every afternoon, for 9 days, we meet in the Church for a moment of prayer and reflection. Many participate and I hope in turn this helps myself and our parishioners to find ourselves a little less unprepared to face this great celebration that has changed the history of the world. Let us pray that it may also change our lives!

Last Sunday, December 16th, we celebrated the feast of St. John of the Cross, our founder and, here in our Mission, the Patron of one of the 3 chapels of Bozoum. Presiding over the celebration was Abbé Firmin, a diocesan priest ordained 2 months ago, along with fathers Flavien, Stanislas and Martial. There was also Father Davide Sollami, our Administrator in Arenzano. We celebrated outdoors because the chapel would have been insufficient. Despite the heat, there were so many people.

December also includes the end of schools quarter and then holidays for over 1,800 children attending our schools here in Bozoum.

And I leave you with my Christmas greetings: "Each year and all years at Christmas we recognize that the true spirit of this privileged time does not consist in what we have, but in what we are; each of us, in fact, is a child of God, and this is the true and only source of joy of Christmas; this is what makes every Christmas "happy".

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Bozoum

Riunione trimestrale dei Professori del St.Augustin
Réunion du 1er trimestre des enseignants du Lycée St.Augustin

Yay, Internet!

riparazione Internet

Yay, Internet!

Finally, the Internet connection is back in Bozoum!

In Central Africa it is not easy to connect to the internet. In some cities, there is the 3G network, but not here in Bozoum. For years, even if the cost is quite high and connection slow (we would hope for the opposite!), we have a system that works via satellite. Unfortunately, about a month ago, the satellite stopped working and so we had no internet unless we used the phone line, which was only available from 9-9:30pm. I finally managed to find a technician, in Bangui, and on Wednesday we reset the cables and the antenna. I was able to resume my chronicle, which was interrupted last week due to the lost internet connection, because my traveling allowed me internet connection while I was in other cities. 

Saturday afternoon, December 8^th, after the celebration for the solemn profession of the vows of Brother Michael, we went with the young Carmelites to his family, who had organized a little party. Upon arrival, Brother Michael was welcomed in a solemn and festive way by his relatives and friends. After a brief stay, I drove back to Bozoum, where I arrived after two hours. On Sunday, I celebrated Mass in our parish in the morning and in the afternoon I left again Bouar.  I was barely able to get to Bouar because the car was having problems with the clutch. Upon arrival the confreres lent me their car, and I left for Baoro with Father Saverio our Provincial Superior, Father Alexandre (Cameroonian) and Father Joseph (Nigerian). Early on Monday morning we left from Baoro arriving in Bangui at 11am.

We spent the day visiting the livestock breeding area nearby and took part in a meeting where we discussed the future agricultural School which we will open up very soon. In the evening we celebrated Mass, in which a young Cameroonian made his first profession of Vows, which he had to delay due to his health problems.

On Tuesday I left Bangui just before noon. The distance is fairly long, and the total lack of maintenance of the roads makes it more difficult. The first 300 km should be paved, but as we have become accustomed, the asphalt is more a memory than anything else. The last 90 km between Bossemptele and Bozoum are simply a disappointment: the work started over 3 months ago but the company has levelled only 15 km (and not that well either!). The company has a couple of trucks, a couple of scrapers, and no rollers. At an average speed of less than 200 meters a day, I think they will end in a year and a half, if all goes well.

Courage!

I vitelli al Carmel di Bangui
Les veaux du Carmel de Bangui

fr Jean Michel

Sosta a Boali
Pause à Boali

la strada tra Bossemptele e Bozoum, la parte "riparata"!
la route entre Bossemptele et Bozoum, la partie déjà "reparée"

December 1st and its surroundings

December 1^st and its surroundings

December 1^st, in Central Africa, is the National Holiday of excellence. The date remembers the proclamation of the Republic in 1958 (Independence arrived two years later in 1960).

It takes a month of preparation to have the “defile”. Then a long awaited parade take place.  To prepare for this grand parade two or three times a week roads within the city, as well as other surrounding cities, are closed to allow schools to rehearse for this amazing parade.   Finally the day of the National celebration arrives. The eve prior is normally reserved for prayer, in which all the authorities participate. Friday, November 30^th  (the anniversary, among other things, of the magnificent visit of Pope Francis in Central Africa, in 2015) we gather in our church, which very quickly fills up.  We pray with great faith for this country that has been ravaged by war.

The bishops invited Christian men and women of good will "to abstain from the festivities on December 1^st ”.  It was a historic decision, never taken in 60 years, to remind everyone of the seriousness of the situation in this great land: more than 80% of the country is in the hands of rebel groups, and in recent weeks there have been numerous attacks on civilians (in Alindao, on November 15^th at least 72 people were killed, including 2 priests, as well as the destruction of the Bishops Residence and the burned refugee camp of the Cathedral, which housed 26,000 refugees). The decision of the Bishops in asking people to disregard this National celebration has caused a great divide among many people.  The Government took this as an affront and an insult, and the tension has been quite high everywhere. In Bozoum, as in many cities, the holiday had been moved to Friday (because the Prefect had other commitments to attend to...), but the call of the Bishops has helped many to ask what to do to make the Country return to peace.

Meanwhile, in Bozoum, we welcome our Provincial Superior, Father Saverio, who is visiting our Mission. On Thursday I went with him to Bouar, where on Friday we met with all the Carmelite Fathers who work in Central Africa (8 Italians, 8 Central Africans and 1 Cameroonian). Today, December 8^th, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, at Bouar St. Elie we live a moment of great joy: a young Central African, Brother Michael, makes the Solemn Profession of Vows. It is the promise and the commitment to live, throughout life, in chastity, poverty and obedience. It is a beautiful moment, and we pray for his loyalty, and for all the work of the Carmelites in Central Africa.

pastori Peul

fr Michael