Travel and transportation
Travel and transportation week.
Central Africa is a very large country (twice the size of Italy), and there are few roads, many are dirt tracks and almost all of them are not maintained.
Therefore, to go to the capital (750 km away) there is no other choice but to take a plane (which is organized by a service from the United Nations, for a fee).
The funeral of Mgr Tadeusz Kusy, a Polish Franciscan, bishop of Kaga Bandoro, was planned in recent days. He died on Easter Sunday, but the planning took a long time.
So last Thursday, Mgr Aguirre and I went down to Bangui for the funeral.
On Friday evening we celebrated a vigil, which then continued throughout the night, and on Saturday morning at 9 there was a solemn mass. All the bishops of Central Africa were present, and the President of the Republic also came, with some of the ministers.
Mgr Tadeusz was 73 years old, and was a missionary in Congo and, since 1987, in Central Africa.
It was very nice to see the participation of so many people at the Mass in Bangui.
But the welcome given to him by the diocese was even more beautiful: during the journey to Kaga Bandoro (350 km) the coffin was welcomed by 3 parishes along the way. But even in the smallest villages there were crowds waiting to give a final farewell to their father and shepherd.
On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I was at Carmel. Partly to see the progress of the construction site of the new convent, but above all to meet with Father Federico, the provincial superior. They were moments of sharing and joy.
This morning I finally returned home to Bangassou.
Here I found the truck with supplies (cement, diesel, notebooks, spare parts, and my boxes): it arrived relatively quickly!
"Only" 10 days of travel, between Bangui and Bangassou.
But with very high costs: more than 15 euros per km!
And in a few weeks, with the rainy season, it will no longer be possible to travel on the road...
Travel and transportation week.
Central Africa is a very large country (twice the size of Italy), and there are few roads, many are dirt tracks and almost all of them are not maintained.
Therefore, to go to the capital (750 km away) there is no other choice but to take a plane (which is organized by a service from the United Nations, for a fee).
The funeral of Mgr Tadeusz Kusy, a Polish Franciscan, bishop of Kaga Bandoro, was planned in recent days. He died on Easter Sunday, but the planning took a long time.
So last Thursday, Mgr Aguirre and I went down to Bangui for the funeral.
On Friday evening we celebrated a vigil, which then continued throughout the night, and on Saturday morning at 9 there was a solemn mass. All the bishops of Central Africa were present, and the President of the Republic also came, with some of the ministers.
Mgr Tadeusz was 73 years old, and was a missionary in Congo and, since 1987, in Central Africa.
It was very nice to see the participation of so many people at the Mass in Bangui.
But the welcome given to him by the diocese was even more beautiful: during the journey to Kaga Bandoro (350 km) the coffin was welcomed by 3 parishes along the way. But even in the smallest villages there were crowds waiting to give a final farewell to their father and shepherd.
On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I was at Carmel. Partly to see the progress of the construction site of the new convent, but above all to meet with Father Federico, the provincial superior. They were moments of sharing and joy.
This morning I finally returned home to Bangassou.
Here I found the truck with supplies (cement, diesel, notebooks, spare parts, and my boxes): it arrived relatively quickly!
"Only" 10 days of travel, between Bangui and Bangassou.
But with very high costs: more than 15 euros per km!
And in a few weeks, with the rainy season, it will no longer be possible to travel on the road...
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| Il fiume Oubangui à Bangui |
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| Bangui |
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| Il chiostro del nuovo convento Le cloitre du nouveau couvent |
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| P.Federico e p.Cyriaque |
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