Christmas 2019

Christmas 2019 

Christmas has also arrived in Bozoum! 

Fresh nights (around 13 degrees) and days over 35 ° are the norm of this time in the dry season. 

Christmas, although having prepared for some time, arrives, blossoming almost suddenly, like a bud expected and unexpected at the same time. The grace of God made man, made flesh, made child and once again amazes us! 

While the altar boys decorate the Church, the nun prepares the altar, the other fathers prepare to celebrate midnight Mass in nearby villages, the children dream of the Baby Jesus, and I divide myself between the kitchen, the confessional and the church. 

On Tuesday evening, just before 7, we began the celebration of midnight Mass (here for various reasons, of safety and tradition, we prefer to celebrate this way). The church is lite by a few candles and by the lights of the crib, where I placed the baby Jesus, between Mary and Joseph. 

The celebration continued in joy and awareness of what happened and happens on this holy night: God chose poverty and fragility to become man, so that none of us, fragile and poor, could be afraid of it. 

Wednesday was Christmas! We celebrated Mass at 8.30, animated by dances and songs, which literally explodef in the "Gloria in Excelsis Deo" which we sang after communion. 

But Christmas is also a moment of sharing. Children and adults brought agricultural products and food to the offertory, which after the Eucharist we  distributed to the poor. 

It was a wonder to see so many children, happy and happy for a small gift received: a doll, a toy car, a shirt, a whistle. And all because we have just received the greatest Gift, God made Man, Jesus.

Festa di Natale al Centro orfani "Arc en Ciel)
Fete de Noel au Centre des orphelins "Arc en Ciel"

Erode e i suoi sgherri
Herode et ses sbires

Presepe, con tanto di cometa
La crèche

Peuls, pastori in transumanza
La transhumance

Presepe e offertorio di Natale
Crèce avec les offrandes de Noel

Orti di Bozoum
Les jardins potagers de Bozoum

Don't worry: it's Christmas!

Don't worry: it's Christmas!

Only a few days left before Christmas!

Here in Bozoum the nights get cool, while the day is hot, a nice dry heat.

And Christmas is approaching here too. There are not many lights (apart from a sky full of stars), no shop windows, few of those things that "make Christmas so much", and which are sometimes the only Christmas for many of us, distracted by so many things.

On these evenings, while celebrating the Christmas Novena, I found myself surprised by the many times that the word "do not be afraid!" is repeated in the Gospels. This is what Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the apostles on the boat, Peter and companions at the moment of the transfiguration, and the disciples after the resurrection hear.

It is a verb that pleases God! And we, who are often afraid of many things, afraid of opening our hearts, fear of light and fear of loving, we really need it.

And the Child who will be born shortly, on Christmas night, is a beautiful gesture from the Father: what could be more fragile, less "fearful" than a child?

None of us can be afraid of that child! Only Herod and his court feared him.

But for us, also for us, that recommendation applies: “Don't be afraid! Do not be afraid!".

God loves us, and the Child is the most upsetting sign of His love.

Merry Christmas!

 

Desta di san Giovanni della Croce
Fete de st Jean de la Croix

Scuola Materna Santa Marta - Bozoum
Ecole maternelle Ste Marthe - Bozoum

St. Nicholas, the Immaculate, and so much more

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Prima elementare
C.I.

St. Nicholas, the Immaculate, and so much more

Last Friday, December 6th, was the feast of Saint Nicholas, and since Fr. Nicola, our pastor for twenty years in Bossemptele, died just a few weeks ago, we wanted to meet for the celebration of  Mass in his memory. It was around the Bishop, our Provincial, Fr. Saverio, other Carmelites, and priests of the diocese, we were filled with intense prayer and gratitude for the gift of this Father who lived in Central Africa from 1971 to 2013.

Friends and visitors often come to Bozoum. In these days we have welcomed Fr. Anastasio and Chris, a friend who came from the USA.

Saturday morning, before going to visit the vegetable gardens and rice paddies, we moved on to see the headquarters of the new Bozoum Radio, "La voix de Koyale", which was inaugurated on December 7th, thus beginning their broadcasts.

Sunday 8 December was a very important day for our Carmelite family in Central Africa because a young man of ours, Fr. Michael, became a priest. Together with him, a young Carmelite from Cameroon also became a deacon.

The celebration took place in Bouar, in our Sant’Elia monastery, which also celebrated its 25th anniversary on December 8th.

I began the holiday Sunday here in Bozoum, where I celebrated 2 Masses (6.30 and 8.30). At 11.00 I left, and reacedh Bouar in time for lunch. In the large cloister of the convent there were about 200 guests at the table to celebrate Fr.Michael and Fr. Armand: families, friends, fathers, nuns, and priests from Central Africa and Cameroon.

In the afternoon the party moved to the family of Fr. Michael, in the city.

Monday morning, a bit early (at 4.30am), we left for Bangui with Fr.Saverio, Marco and Chris. Apart from a problem with the diesel filter, the journey went smoothly, and at 1:00pm we were in Bangui.

During the stay in our community, I observed with pleasure the production of carcadé: a red flower used for herbal teas and infusions.  It just so happens that this year the Central African carcadé will arrive in Italy, to become a component in the preparation of some liqueurs, prepared by Enrico and Piero from "Argalà", an artisan liqueur factory in Boves (Cuneo).

Messa in memoria di p.Nicola a Bossemptele
Messe en mémoire du p.Nicola à Bossemptele

P.Anastasio e Chris

 

I nuovi ordinati: p.Michael, sacerdote, e fr Armand, diacono
Les nouveaux ordonnés: p.Michael, pretre, et fr. Armand, diacre

Alberello a Bangui
un petit arbre à Bangui

Carcadè

Oseille de Guinée - Hybiscus - Guimauve

National holiday and Radio Bozoum

National holiday and Radio Bozoum

On December 1st, in Central Africa, it is a national holiday: the anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic in 1958 is celebrated (Independence will arrive a little later, August 13th, 1960).

It is a heartfelt feast, characterized by moments of prayer (usually the day before), and, above all, by the great "defilé" (parade) in which schools and various entities (clubs, associations, etc.) participate.

During several mornings hundreds of students were busy preparing for the parade (which unfortunately resulted in the loss of numerous school days).

This year there were no religious celebrations (perhaps the authorities were afraid of hearing unpleasant words about the situation in the country, about corruption ...), but on Sunday morning, December 1st, everything was ready: the authorities were well taken care of under the new grandstand (built with the money that the Chinese companies had promised to build a school and 2 clinics).

At around 10 am the parade began, opened by the police, followed by the majorettes, and then hundreds of thousands of children, teenagers and young people from the various schools in the city.

A beautiful moment of celebration, which also served to forget, for a few moments, the difficulties of a country that is struggling to get out of a deep crisis.

At the party another event took place, that was very beautiful: the beginning of the broadcasts for the new Bozoum Radio!
Dreamed for years, after so many difficulties and a lot of work, in these past few days all the necessary devices have been installed thanks to the INTERNEWS NGO (and with the contribution of an Italian friend). MINUSCA (the United Nations Mission in Central Africa) financed the construction (which we have carried out in recent months).

On Saturday 7 December there will be the inauguration of "La Voix de Koyale" ("The Voice of the Koyale", which is a small river that runs through Bozoum).

The Radio broadcasts on 102.1 FM, and already has a Facebook page (fb.me/RadioBozoum), a logo and an email address (radio@bozoum.com).

Aggiungi didascalia

La delegazione della Cassa di Risparmio di Bozoum

Prove tecniche, Raio Bozoum
Essais, Essais, Radio Bozoum