after Bozoum, news from Bangassou: Mission and Fraternity

Thursday, January 5, 2023

Mission and Fraternity

Mission and Fraternity

In the Gospels, Jesus sends his disciples "two by two" to prepare people's hearts for His arrival. A Father of the Church comments on this choice, saying that Jesus wants communion and fraternity to be the first witness of His Kingdom.
This is exactly what happened over the past few days.

Thursday morning, December 29, I left with Fr Cyriaque, a Central African confrere, and Friar Igor, a Frenchman, and we went to the most distant villages. After almost 3 hours by car we arrived in Sinaforo, 80 km from Baoro.

Here we had to wait for the catechists to return (they had confused the dates), and we celebrated the Eucharist in the hut that serves as a small church.

At the end of the Mass, we gave away a ball, which started the party, along with the races in the village, scaring the goats and chickens.

We also went to Yoro, where we spent the night. In the afternoon we went to the river, Nana, which was a few kilometers away. Here we found 5 containers, a large bulldozer and a barge that was used to dredge the river: this is what remains of the Chinese camp, who 3 years ago started looking for gold (a bit like in Bozoum). Even here!

On December 30, the Church celebrated the feast of the Holy Family, to whom the chapel of Yoro is dedicated. On Friday morning, we celebrated Mass, a solemn Mass, with the grace of Baptism which Fr. Cyriaque administered to 16 small children of the village.

In the afternoon we went to Bayanga Didi, a few kilometers away. Here Fra Igor tasted snake for the first time, which the catechist had prepared. Here too, like the day before in Yoro, I shared a good film on the Nativity with the community.

On Saturday, December 31st we celebrated Mass in the morning, along with a baptism. In the afternoon we returned to Baoro.

It was last day of the year, but the exhaustion of the past 3 days caught up with me and I went to bed early: the year is starting regardless, so I prayed and wished that this too will be a year of grace for all humanity.

As soon as I arrived, I received the news of the death of Pope Benedict XVI: a man of great faith, a profound and simple theologian, who loved Africa very much. In 2011, returning from Benin, he said: "Despite suffering and poverty, in Africa there is a joy of living. It is the joy of being a human creature: to be human is to be loved by God".

Early Monday morning I left for Bangui: the building site of the new building site, albeit slowly, is moving along, and I participated in the weekly meeting.

Here too I find the joy of fraternity: in addition to the community, there are confreres who have just arrived from Italy: the Provincial, Fr Saverio, Fr Andrea Bello and Bro Matteo Colzani. There was also a doctor, Natalina, with them.

I left Bangui with them on Wednesday morning heading towards Baoro.