Deferred Easter

Deferred Easter

"And Sala Pâque awe!" (We had Easter!): It was the spontaneous acclamation by the many people of Bozoum, because we were finally able to celebrate the Baptisms that occurred during Easter.
The journey in preparing for Baptism is quite long. For boys and girls, there are 4 years of training, while for adults there are 2 years old, but much more intense.
The celebration of baptisms normally takes place during the Easter Vigil. This year, due to Covid 19, we had to delay the celebrations, and we were able to have them the past few days.
In church we had affixed on the benches, so as to respect the 1 meter distance between one person and another. The altar boys had masks, while for the faithful we are having them packaged.
So on Saturday afternoon, June 20, at 4.30 pm we started the Eucharist in which we had the Grace of 70 baptisms, 9 First Communions and 9 weddings.
The following day, Sunday 21st, the baptized were present, all dressed in white, and the rest of the community was able to wrap them up (while still maintaining appropriate distance) with affection and prayer.
And as always, after the Mass the city was filled with songs, which accompanied the new Christians.
Today, Thursday 25 June, we celebrated the Chrism Mass. Normally celebrated on Holy Thursday, this year it also had to be postponed. Today we met, about forty priests, around the Bishop and the Christian community of Bouar. At Mass the priests renewed their commitment, and then the Bishop consecrated the oils that will be used for the various sacraments: the oil for the anointing of the sick, that of the catechumens and the Chrism.
It's Easter! Even if Coronovirus continues (we have passed the 3,000 cases bar in Central Africa), Christ remains The Life of the world and of every man

Chierichetti e maschere
Servants et masques

Bozoum: misure Covid19
Bozoum: les distances pour la Covid19

Bouar

L'olio per l'Unzione dei malati, l'olio dei catecumeni e il Crisma
L'uile pour l'Onction des malades, l'huile pour les cathécumènes et le St.Chrème

Covid and schools

 

Covid and schools

 

Had there been no Corona Virus this would have been the last few days of school.

But it is also here in Central Africa, and we must take this into account.

For now, while we were waiting for the Government's decisions, which were slow to come, we decided to end the school year, taking into consider the first two semesters. At the end of the month we will give report cards, and we plan to reopen the schools (covid permitting!) in early September, so as to try to make up for lost time.

People testing positive for the virus continue to increase: today we are 2,605 positive, with 417 recovered and 19 deceased. A worrisome fact is that related to testing: out of about 20,000 tests, 2,605 have been positive results, which represent a very high 13%.

We continue, as diocese and as Caritas, the work of fighting the virus. Trucks with buckets and handwashing materials have been dispersed and local manufacturing of masks continues.

Fortunately, the children raise our spirits a bit. Like Jonas, who made a paper mask ...

Pseudo mascherina da gioco
Masque à jouer

Materiale per la lotta al covid19
Materiel pour la lutte au covid19

Maschere
Masques

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