after Bozoum, news from Bangassou: Ready, set, and go!

Friday, November 20, 2020

Ready, set, and go!

Ready, set, and go!

It is strange how time passes: days that seem like seconds and seconds that seem like hours!

The end of last week and the days leading up to Monday, were very, very busy, for me and for the Bozoum community.

On Friday afternoon the children of the “Arc en Ciel” Orphanage Center express their joy and their gratitude with songs, dances, drawings and poems. And there was even a goat as a gift!

Fr Marco Poggi also arrived on Friday, he is the priest who will replace me in Bozoum, starting December 6th.

Sunday was a great day of greeting for the parish. I celebrated Mass at 8.30, and there were a lot of people as we as a lot of emotions! It was time for me to thank God for the gift of these 17 years in Bozoum: For what we have done together with the Christians and all the people of Bozoum. For the welcome and kindness of so many people, who came with simplicity to thank, many with tears in their eyes. It was not so much the moment for Fr Aurelio, but above all for the community and, even before, for God. He trusted. About me and us. The Gospel presents the parable of the talents: each one receives them, according to his abilities, and it is nice to know that God is full of joy when we play everything with it, without hiding our talents, but let them bear fruit.

In the afternoon I took a final tour of Bozoum. I passed by the home of Thierry Kanghal, a collaborator of Caritas for many years. At his house there was the "San Vincenzo" meeting. and today, which is World Day of the Poor, I was happy to be able to start my goodbye's with them.

I then went to the hospital, to visit a sick person, and meet the doctor, with whom I have been collaborating for years.

Monday morning there was the last flag raising at our St. Augustin Lyceum. I stopped to greet the pupils of our “Isidore Bakanjia” elementary school: the courtyard was filled with a thousand children!

Finally, around 1.30pm, I left Bozoum! The journey to Baoro was long, very long (even if it is only 180 km): the kilometers become a screen, on which many beautiful and difficult moments of these 17 years passed by. Above all, the many faces and many people passed by.

I arrived in Baoro in the evening, and here I found another parish and another community (we are 3 fathers), and new activities. While I prepared for the reopening of the Mechanical School, the work in the villages and schools, I turned a page and started with a new chapter.

Thanks!

Courage!